It appears there is one guy that isn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of a Jon Jones vs. Anderson Silva UFC Super Fight. Unfortunately that guy is Anderson Silva. However, there is one Super Fight that the Spider has no problem accepting.
Silva gave an interesting interview to UOL Esportes. Silva talked about a number of subjects, but the subject of Super Fights is what really grabbed my interest. Silva was asked about fighting UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in what has the potential to be the biggest fight in UFC history. Whether it is posturing or truth, the UFC middleweight champion said he has no interest in the match.
[ad 6]“I don’t plan on moving up in weight anymore. He’s in a different weight (class). I train with bigger guys, such as Lyoto Machida and Big Nog and I know how complicated it is. …Every time I see Jones I tell him to keep focus, because if he does that, there’s no opponent for him. He’s better than everyone. He’d have a lot of advantages (over me), he’s much younger and it wouldn’t be something interesting (for me).”
Okay so Silva doesn’t want to take a fight against a guy that would put him at a weight disadvantage, I get it. Yet ironically size doesn’t matter if the opponent is moving up in weight to challenge him at middleweight.
“GSP is very educated and I like him a lot. A fight against him would be very, very, very big and this could actually happen.”
So let’s back up for a second. Silva, who has fought several times at light heavyweight in the UFC won’t take a fight against the best in that division because he would be at a weight disadvantage. Again, a division the man has fought at successfully. On the other hand, he has no problem throwing around challenges to a man that has fought at welterweight throughout his entire career. Call me crazy but this sounds completely absurd to me.
I have blogged numerous times on the Georges St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva Super Fight and why I think it is a terrible idea. GSP has never fought above welterweight. Expecting GSP to put on fifteen pounds of muscle at 30-years old is just ridiculous. Even if he miraculously pulled that off, you would not be getting the great GSP you see at welterweight against the great Silva you see at middleweight. You’d be getting a slower version of GSP going up against a guy that will have an enormous weight advantage by the time the bell rings. Why would the UFC send one of their biggest stars off to slaughter to get massacred in a size mismatch?
[adinserter block=”1″]Now Silva vs. Jones makes perfect sense to me. Silva has cleaned out the middleweight division and once again, has fought at light heavyweight. No disrespect to his opponents at light heavyweight, but he has never fought an elite fighter in the division. Jon Jones is regarded by some as the best in the fight business. Silva is about a year or two away from retirement. Why not make the fight? Heck, Silva did interviews a few years back talking about wanting to fight at heavyweight! To me, this comes off as a bit cowardly, but that is just one man’s opinion.
If GSP vs. Silva happens, it will only happen because GSP was pressured into it or paid an ungodly amount of money to do it. He doesn’t want the fight and it is a little unfair for Silva to continue trying to bait the fans into thinking that this will happen.
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GSP walks around at 195 lbs.. Seriously.. You guys didn't think about this?, he would possibly be a better fighter
Silva is smart..he has advantages over GSP..but virtually none against Jones, other than experience..but as everyone eventually finds out..the age clock is ticking..maybe if Silva were 5 years younger..he would accept the challenge…
To be honest..I think a Silva match with GSP simply is unfair..Silva is a BIG guy…walks around at 215-220..and GSP walks around 30-40 lbs lighter..and percentage-wise at that weight…simply too big an obstacle in my view…
I agree with unsure, but not scared. He would be fighting a younger and bigger version of himself. Not to say their styles are one in the same, but they are both unorthidox in the stand-up game. GSP walks around @194. Don't believe me, look it up. How much of a stretch is is to make 185? Help me out here. So see the hypocrisy is double edged. Yes, Silva does not want to fight Jones. Not worth the risk. And GSP prefers to stay in his comfort zone and tool up much smaller fighters. I think GSP is a great fighter but what risks has he taken? He beat up an old Hughes and a smaller Penn. Do you not believe that Jones walks around @225+?
GSP said that the heavier hes ever been was 193!
But he walk around at 185-190 max.
I think silva is just affraid to have someone that he is unsure if he can actually beat. His whole career has been defined by him beating people that were not in his leauge. Jon Jones is in his league but Silva sees to much to lose in this fight. I frankly think he is scared.
Anderson is a coward plain and simple. He will fight a much smaller white fighter in GSP but will not fight a black fighter his own size. I am not a fan of his but I do not dislike him in any way except I am a bit tired of hearing about him being the so-called best PFP fighter in the world yet he will not fight J Jones when I do not believe he is even the best fighter in the LHW division. J Jones is a pretty good fighter but far from anyones best fighter so it would be a good fight and I believe Anderson would have his head handed to him by J Jones and this is why he is afraid to fight J Jones. I remember not so long ago Anderson wanting a challenge so he fought a couple of times or more at LHW and now he cries that J Jones would have an advantage over him but he wouldn't mind fighing someone he would have an advantage over. This is what we older people see as being a coward!
You are dumb! Race has nothing to do with it. More like weight and beat-down-ness……I am a huge Gsp fan and silva would crush gsp, much much bigger fighter. and same goes for Jones to Silva jones walks around at 225. To bring race into it is retarded.
THANK YOU! That has been my point. Silva doesnt need to go to the same lengths to fight at 205 as GSP would at 185. Plus, by fight time Silva would probably put another 10-15 lbs on. It would be a size mismatch as opposed to Jones vs. Silva.
Anderson Silva walk around at 220-225 also!!!Hes just a big weight cutter!
Why not have them meet in the middle? Have Spider lose a little weight and GSP gain a little weight. Just sayin.
I also dont agree with gsp going up I mean there are enough challengers coming up in the welterweight division like say ah condit to start with and potentially diaz, ellenberger and hendrix. On paper these guys all look like they could give gsp a proper fight.
you got beef with silva? Such a one sided article…
Not at all. One of my favorite all time fighters. Just pointing out the obvious hypocrisy in his statements.
Speaking of absurd, this whole piece is geared to call out Silva. You say GSP should not go up in weight because he is "30." Silva should because he is younger, oh wait, he is going to be 37 in April. C'mon give me a break. Silva has taken on all challengers @middleweight and moved up to light heavy on occasion. How about GSP takes a risk for once in his career??
The whole point is that he wouldn't be moving up. He has already fought at light heavyweight and he reportedly can walk around at up to 220 lbs.
You are right Eric G.
I agree with jessrm80.it is the same format that caused boxings decline.keep the best fighters (jon jones and andersen silva) away from each other to create more ppv events by pitting them against other opponents.gsp is one of the greatest but his frame is too small to move up competetively.silva moves up to fight jj but it won't happen.it's not about fear, it's about money. where greed is concerned nobody ever learns from the past,short term money always wins out. fans aren't stupid,they'll eventually get tired of the games and interest will wane.
Silva is not stupid. He can beat GSP and cannot beat JJ. This is not a hard one.
This is crazy. Now Silva does not want to move as he will be at a weight disadvantage. UFC does not want Jones to move up ( UFC stands to loose some big money), but they are taunting GSP to move up. Now what is right with this picture? Sounds to me like GSP may be getting hung out to dry or ? . As I watch the UFC bouts I am starting to get bored same as with boxing. I used to be an avid boxing fan. Boxing lost the luster, I went to the UFC. I am starting to get bored with the UFC. No more PPV for me. Dana White is the Don King of the UFC.