Say What? Anderson Silva’s Management Teases GSP Bout For ‘Spider’s’ Return
Recovering MMA legend Anderson Silva was spotted yesterday starting physical therapy on the badly broken leg he suffered against Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC 168.
Many thought that the longtime former champ had suffered a gruesome career-ending injury in his rematch with “The All-American,” but his surgery went well and he apparently still has the desire to get back into the Octagon. With his orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steven Sanders placing a timetable of 6-12 months on ‘The Spider’s’ recovery, it’s far from time to begin booking his return bout.
However, that’s certainly not going to stop people from speculating about just whom he may return to face.
That includes his manager Jorge Guimaraes, who was recently asked by MMAJunkie.com about the possibility of a long-rumored “superfight” with former UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. Even now, Guimaraes showed enthusiasm for the bout:
“Don’t you think that’s an option?”
Indeed it is an option, although it would hinge on a great many things falling into place at the right time. Silva has to get fully healed, and there’s no guarantee that St. Pierre will ever return to the cage. But Silva’s good friend and manager Ed Soares is supportive of the bout as well, voicing his idea in another interview:
“Man, if we were able to pull something like that off, it would be a win-win for everybody; the fans, the UFC. I think that would be awesome.”
So with Silva’s management team on board, it’s time to play the waiting game. At this point, there’s not much doubt that Silva will return to the UFC; it’s just a matter of if he can get back to the otherworldly level he fought at for so many years. At 38-years-old, that’s no easy task; but it initially appears that Silva’s rehab is going quite well according to Guimaraes:
“He’s walking around on crutches and raising his leg, and he’s just getting ready to start physical therapy when the doctor allows him. He’s already moving his toes. I feel that positive vibe on him, and that’s what makes me believe he’s going to come back even stronger.”
That sounds like a positive report from Silva’s camp, but again, he’s still a long ways off from returning to fight. It looks like “The Spider” is going to do everything within his power to come back, and he’s not wasting any time in doing so. Soares also expressed positivity about Silva’s recovery:
“The UFC has been absolutely incredible to us and given us the best of everything. The way it looks now, (his recovery) looks great, and he’s only getting better every day.”
With Silva set to make a full recovery, a returning fight against GSP would be an absolutely blockbuster bout. St. Pierre has shown little to no interest in fighting the larger “Spider” in the past, so this one may be very hard to book.
And while it doesn’t carry even half the weight it did when both men ruled their respective divisions with an iron fist, it’s still one of the most sought-after bouts in MMA. Is there any chance of this long shot becoming a reality at this point?
