It is widely believed that Anderson Silva, arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history, and inarguably the UFC middleweight GOAT, will have his last fight on Saturday, vs. Uriah Hall in the main event of UFC on ESPN+ 39. However, in a recent interview with the Portuguese language Portal do Vale Tudo, Silva’s longtime friend and S&C trainer Rogerio Camoes said “The Spider” will no longer fight in the UFC, but he will fight on.
In all the conversations I had with Anderson, he always says that he doesn’t want to stop, that he wants to fight, that he fights because he loves and still wants to fight,” said the coach, via Google Translate. “So, therefore, no one on the team is feeling farewell. This is due to Anderson’s stance, because at no time did he speak of the last fight, on the contrary. His having the last fight in the UFC does not mean that he will stop fighting.”
Silva, 45, is currently ranked outside the UFC’s Top 15, but Hall is ranked #10. With a win, Silva exits the UFC with a ranking.
Silva has just one win in the UFC since 2012, a unanimous decision win over Derek Brunson at UFC 208 on February 11, 2017. A second win in that span, a unanimous decision over Nick Diaz at UFC 183 on January 31, 2015, was overturned after Silva tested positive for drostanolone and androsterone. However, he remains a serious threat. Israel Adesanya is currently the #3 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, and last year Silva lost to him via UD in the Fight of the Night, even winning a round on one judge’s scorecard.
So, UG, where do you think Anderson Silva might fight next? ONE Championship? Bellator MMA? Taura MMA? RIZIN Fighting Federation? And how do you think he would do there?
