Anderson Silva Will Be Granted An Immediate Rematch Should He Lose At UFC 162
With UFC 162 just days away, Dana White has announced that Anderson Silva will get an immediate rematch if Chris Weidman is able to beat him. Silva recently signed a ten fight extension on his UFC contract, stating that he wanted to fight the best in the world and cement his legacy.
Dana was on hand to talk to MMAJunkie about the subject:
“I’d do the rematch the next fight, Guy hasn’t lost in the UFC ever, has beat everybody. He loses that fight, he’s the guy for a rematch if he wants it.”
Silva is on the biggest win streak in UFC history (16), and has been talked about for a while now as a potential opponent for Jon Jones and Georges St.Pierre. Even though The Spider has spoke about not wanting to fight Jones, you have to think that, after Weidman, he will have cleared out the 185lb. division.
The reality of the situation is that Silva could fight anyone he wants, should he beat Weidman. But if he really wants to prove himself as the greatest of all time, the only option is a superfight. White continued:
“He’s on board to fight either one of them,….Fights that don’t matter don’t make money,” White said. “If he makes it to 10, which if he makes it to 10, nobody better deny that he’s the f–king greatest of all time, but he wants big fights that are going to make money. He wants fights that are going to cement his legacy.”
“None of them like to say in public, they care about making money, too.”
With GSP becoming less interested in a fight with Silva, it would seem that a catchweight bout with Jones would be the logical answer. Neither man would have to put their title on the line, and it would arguably mean the biggest payday for two MMA fighters in MMA history.
The problem still remains that it would mean risking either mans legacy, which could be a hindrance. Like Dana Said; Fights that don’t matter don’t make money. Would a fight with Jon Jones matter if Silva loses to Chris Weidman on Saturday? The truth is that both guys have to have that legacy at risk to make the bout that much more appealing.
Don’t get me wrong, a fight between Silva and Jones appeals to me regardless of legacies or titles, but from a business perspective it’s a lot different. It just goes to show how topsy turvy the MMA world really is, especially at the top.
