“One of Them Didn’t Want It”: Dana White Reveals Why GSP vs. Anderson Silva Never Happened

Georges St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva was arguably one of the biggest fantasy matchups in MMA history. Two dominant champions, separated by 15 pounds, appeared to be on course for a blockbuster showdown. 

However, the fight never came to fruition. Dana White has now revealed why the matchup fell through but has refused to name the fighter who turned it down.

Dana White Reveals Why GSP vs. Anderson Silva Never Happened

Speaking to Bleacher Report, Dana White explained that the sport was different back then and fighters weren't making moves between weight classes to become double champions. He credited Conor McGregor with being the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight divisions simultaneously and setting a trend.

“That’s a good point. That’s another fight that I couldn’t make back in the day. That is the other fight. Obviously, one of them didn’t want it. So, you don’t want to go back and say, ‘Oh, this guy,’ and make him look like whatever. But listen, there are weight classes for a reason,” he said.

“At that time, you didn’t just jump weight classes and become double champs. Conor was the first one to actually do that, show that it was actually possible to hold two titles in two different weight classes. But yeah, that would be another one that I didn’t make. It would be Georges St-Pierre versus Anderson Silva. He’s right,” White added.

White is often blunt when discussing UFC-related topics. However, this time, he was careful not to name the fighter who turned down the matchup or assign blame to either champion.

McGregor achieved the double-champion feat in 2016, years after discussions about a potential St-Pierre-Silva matchup. By then, GSP was inactive, and Silva was on a losing streak. 

GSP did not move up to middleweight until 2017, when he defeated former champion Michael Bisping. Silva, meanwhile, was already past his prime.