I had a thought just a few months ago that if Anderson Silva dispatched of his top money-making rival Chael Sonnen in their second meeting as he did that longest running UFC champ would be left without a lot of options moving forward.
Well, I’m happy to say that I was completely wrong.
With a string of recent impressive performances there is a long line of fighters with a reasonable claim to being the number-one contender for the Brazilian bomber including Chris Weidman, Alan Belcher and Tim Boetsch but Silva deemed those challengers a “joke”” in a recent interview with Portuguese magazine TATAME.
MMAJunkie.com caught up with Ed Soares, the manager and translator for the middleweight king where he spoke on his newly crowned slew of challengers.
“I don’t think any opponent in that category is a joke,” Soares said. “I just think that some of his opponents just aren’t as attractive. When I look at Weidman, I think he’s a very talented guy. He’s got a bright future. But when I look at it, he’s 9-0. Anderson has got double the wins he has in his career in the UFC. So I just don’t see the value of being able to fight a guy like this right now. That’s my opinion.”
The fighter that he considers should be next in line for Silva is Rich Franklin, who recently returned to his winning ways avoiding a brutal onslaught from Wanderlei Silva to notch his second victory over the former Pride king.
“The only guy that Rich Franklin has ever lost to at 185 pounds is Anderson,” Soares said. “So when you look at the 185-pound division, he’s definitely up in the mix as far as a contender. I think [Silva would] be interested in fighting Franklin again, just simply because he respects Rich a lot, and he feels that Rich was the guy that gave him the opportunity to fight for the belt.”
While Franklin has always been an interesting piece of the middleweight puzzle, Silva also has a thought of meeting his only rival for the pound-for-pound crown George St-Pierre.
For years this has been a fight that hardcore fans have salivated over with a meeting between the two dominate champions that reside within 15-pounds of one another.
“It’s not an easy situation,” Soares said. “The middleweight division is a little bit complicated right now. But who am I to sit here and say who they should fight? I’m just saying that as far as the biggest fights go, I see a potential fight with Georges St-Pierre being a big fight.”
Whether or not this fight happens would depend largely on the welterweight champ though, in the past he stated that he would have to take a lengthy amount of time away to build up the muscle mass to challenge with his much larger foe.
Right now, most consider Weidman to be at the front of the 185-pound cue but the champ has other thoughts.
Franklin lost to Griffin too didn’t he? But I guess that was in the LHW division.
No one wants to see Silva KO Franklin again. Ace wouldn’t have a chance.
And why is Silva so intent on only GSP? Jones is another superfight that could easily be made.
Gentlemen…read the article well. Silva did not ask for a fight with GSP. Ed Soares is the one being interviewed and what Ed was referring to was that as far as big money fights go, silva/gsp will be a money maker. he did not say that silva would like to see the fight happen. IMO..GSP will lose that fight. i love them both but that is the truth.
Dizzy, Silva has repeatedly said he is not interested in fighting Jones. Jones is actually a much bigger and younger man with tons of skill (which Silva has noted in the past). Jones is a full 20+ pounds bigger than Silva and has to cut to make 205. For Silva to move up would be suicide, and there’s no way Jones can move down (well, without starving himself and showing up weak). I wouldn’t look for an established legend like Anderson Silva to go for that kind of fight.
GSP is big for 170 and is a much better match up size wise. Also, GSP (like Silva) has a TON of respect and honor within the MMA community. It would carry even more international clout than a matchup with Jones, and will I’m American, I would love to see these two legends go at it.
I’ve got a riddle for everyone!
What do Chris Wiedman, Luke Rockhold, Michael Bisping, Alan Belcher, Nate Marquardt, Tim Boetsch, and Vitor Belfort all have in common?
They ALL deserve a title shot before Rich Franklin!!!!!!!!!
Funny that Silva’s coach wants a guy coming off injury and a guy he destroyed!?!? He doesn’t want a young guy who is 9 – 0 or Jones…another young guy. Afraid or protecting the legacy???
I don’t think Silva would have a chance against gsp. Gsp would kick Silva’s ass, Gsp would beat him in every aspect of the game. Gsp is the best champio.n ever and that’s that
Silva doesn’t have half the heart that GSP possesses, the only advantages Silva would have would be the weight difference and Gsp’s recent injury.Hopefully GSP will cme back unfaze.
…and they all are more serious threats to Silva, which is why he and his camp are distancing themselves from those fights. If you notice, the only fights Silva and his camp seem to be interested in are smaller guys (e.g. GSP) or guys Silva has already destroyed multiple times (i.e. Franklin). I hate when fighters duck the toughest fights in order to prolong their “greatness”.
YOU are an Idiot.
Silva is ridiculous. He isn’t against GSP moving up to 185 where he’s never been but he does’nt like the idea of fighting Bones at 205, where Silva actually has fought (with success). I think GSP should stay where he is and dominate at 170. As for Silva, I like Machida vs. Silva at a catchweight of 190-195. Or see if Bones would drop 10lbs for a catchweight match against Silva.
I think if Bisping beats Stann, he should get a shot at the champ.
LOL, you had some credibility until you listed Michael Bisping…
LOL…now that is comial.
A fight w silva and bones is a lose lose for everybody.. silva wins and the ufc loses all credibility for the younger more marketable jones…jones wins he beat a smaller older silva and he has no credibility..anderson has destroyed everyone in his division like it or not…ace has no business in the octagon w/ silva again no doubt. i suppose if the spider and gsp fought than win or lose they could both ride off into the sunset…that is if they are both readyy to retire
Jon Jones is peerless at this point. He should focus on winning the heavyweight title not fighting a smaller much older man like Silva.