UFC fans have a new dream matchup to wonder about.
In the wake of Anderson Silva's decisive win over Chael Sonnen at UFC 148 on Saturday night, the UFC brass are looking more and more open to the idea of a cross-divisional superfight between Silva and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones. UFC president Dana White wouldn't rule it out, and UFC co-owner Lorenzo Fertitta included Jones on a list of possible opponents for fans to choose from on his Twitter account (@lorenzofertitta).
The attraction is obvious. Both Silva and Jones are dominant champions with unorthodox striking styles. Silva has done some moonlighting in the 205-pound division, scoring wins over Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 and James Irvin at a UFC Fight Night event. So, naturally, with both men running through opponents as fast as the UFC can match them up, it's only natural to think about getting them together in the Octagon.
The only problem here is that Silva has shown little, if any, interest in continuing to fight at 205, particularly if it involves Jones. Moreover, that's the right decision for him.
Silva is 37. He's been fighting in the UFC for more than six years, and he's been the UFC Middleweight Champion for nearly all that time. His legacy is secure - thanks in large part to his rivalry with Sonnen, which seemed to light a fire under the Brazilian star - and he has nothing left to prove in his MMA career. At this stage, the attraction of watching Silva fight - besides his artistry in the cage - is the idea that someone out there might have what it takes to beat the best in the world, arguably the best of all time.
With Jones, there isn't much mystery. The UFC Light Heavyweight Champion is 14 years the junior of Silva and holds a seven-inch reach advantage. His long limbs have made it difficult for opponents to get inside on him, and his wrestling background is exactly the sort of thing that has given Silva trouble in his fights against Sonnen and Dan Henderson. It's entirely possible that Silva could beat Jones, since he's beaten everyone else the UFC has put in front of him, but at the same time, there's very little in it for him. He has a very strong case as the best of all time whether or not he fights Jones, and given Jones' youth, length, size advantage and wrestling skills, there's little to no incentive for Silva to take that fight.
If the UFC wants to make a cross-divisional superfight, it should be between Silva and Georges St-Pierre. It's been talked about long enough that it's become the MMA world's version of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao - except for the fact that MMA has more than two fighters that fans care about - and it makes sense from a generational perspective.
Tito Ortiz being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on Saturday was about more than his title reign as Light Heavyweight Champion. Ortiz belonged in the Hall of Fame in part because Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell were already there, and together, that triumvirate defined a generation in the UFC. By the same token, Silva and St-Pierre define their generation in the UFC. Silva won his title at UFC 64, St-Pierre won his at UFC 65. GSP's loss to Matt Serra at UFC 69 notwithstanding, he and Silva have run neck-and-neck as the top two pound-for-pound fighters in the sport for five years. GSP's blend of elite-level wrestling, formidable striking and great game-planning with Firas Zahabi is a package that could potentially dethrone Silva. And, while it hasn't happened yet, St-Pierre has expressed interest in the fight with "the Spider."
Of course, GSP has business to attend to in the welterweight divison. When he returns at UFC 154 in November, he'll have to take on interim champion Carlos Condit, and the winner of that fight will likely have a challenge from the winner of the Johny Hendricks-Martin Kampmann battle scheduled for that same fight card. There's also the possibility that Nick Diaz could return from retirement once his suspension ends, setting the stage for a grudge match with the normally calm St-Pierre.
St-Pierre vs. Silva was on the table before, a little more than two years ago, around the time that Silva was defending his title against Demian Maia. In the wake of that fight at UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi, White said, "He doesn't deserve to fight GSP," frustrated with the "goofy" performances against fighters like Maia and Thales Leites. That version of Anderson Silva is gone now, thanks in large part to Chael Sonnen, who managed to light a fire under the champion over the last two years. Silva is ready for a "superfight" again, but the one that makes sense isn't with Jones. It's with GSP.
