Silva: McGregor is the best now, but Mayweather is a different challenge

Anderson Silva has plenty of praise for Conor McGregor. He just doesn't want his fellow UFC star to get ahead of himself.

Speaking at a media scrum Wednesday in advance of UFC 208, Silva was asked for his thoughts on the ubiquitous McGregor versus Floyd Mayweather rumors. "The Spider" often discussed crossing over to boxing during his six-year reign as UFC middleweight champion, but a bout with his idol Roy Jones Jr. never came to fruition.

McGregor picked up the MMA mantle that greats like Silva and Georges St-Pierre once carried and took it further than anyone could have imagined, but Silva wants to make sure McGregor realizes that a boxing match with Mayweather would be a whole different beast.

"This is a different sport," said Silva. "Conor is the best now. Conor (is in good) condition to be talking about this fight. I think Conor broke the records, broke everything, and it's a new challenge for Conor. It's a different sport. Mayweather is no simple guy, is no MMA guy.

"I train in boxing for a long time in my life and when I go to spar with professional (boxers), it's so different. Timing is different, movement is different, and the people need to respect both sports."

Asked if he was upset about not getting his own chance to pursue a crossover bout, the 41-year-old Silva expressed no bitterness over his dealings with the UFC despite badly wanting to fight Jones.

"I know maybe I never (beat) Roy Jones, but this is my dream," said Silva. "To go inside the ring and fight Roy Jones. And when Dana and Lorenzo come and talk to me, I understand.

"This is the business, I have a contract in the UFC. I have no frustration. Conor has a different focus, a different goal, but (the Jones fight) was my dream for a long time in my life."

Silva searches for his first win in over four years when he meets Derek Brunson at UFC 208 in Brooklyn on Saturday.