Anderson Silva still hopeful for boxing match with Roy Jones Jr., while Jose Aldo volunteers to face Miguel Cotto

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — With the possibility of UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor taking on boxing legend on Floyd Mayweather next, another UFC star remains hopeful for his own shot in the boxing ring.

Anderson Silva, who has angled for a bout with Roy Jones Jr. since his days as UFC middleweight champion, is still hopeful that he might have this chance one day.

"First, it was always a dream to fight a guy like Roy Jones. I’m a fan,” Silva said at the UFC 212 press conference on Tuesday. "Second, it was always something that I wanted. I’ve followed Roy Jones since he was an Olympic athlete, and I’ve always looked up to his style of boxing. It’s something I always wanted to do. Regardless of being in the UFC or not, it was always something I wanted to do.

"But let’s wait. So many things are happening. I never thought I would see so many of the things that are happening, so maybe it happens. Let’s wait. I hope it happens one day."

Jose Aldo, who will compete in the main event against interim champion Max Holloway at UFC 212 event in Rio de Janeiro on June 3, called for a spot in the hypothetical Silva versus Jones Jr. boxing card.

"If it does happen, I want to be in this card, too, boxing,” Aldo said. "I’ll challenge, I don’t know, Miguel Cotto, something like that. I want to surf this wave as well. If it happens, Dana… Don’t forget me, Joe Carr. Don’t forget me because if it happens I want to fight, brother. We can go for takedowns, too. No problem."