Anderson Silva: I have made 170 during test cuts

The UFC G.O.A.T. Anderson Silva appeared recently on the Combate News television show and discussed the current balance between sport and entertainment under the new UFC owners.

“I think they just took a big risk because the face of the UFC was always Dana and Lorenzo, said Silva as transcribed by Guilherme Cruz for MMA Fighting. “When you don’t have Dana and Lorenzo, the good cop and the bad cop, it’s kind of up in the air. But let’s be positive. I believe everything will be alright.”

“It’s a company that is worried about entertainment. It’s not a company with a history in martial arts, the philosophy of the fight. That’s one of the reasons why ‘Jacare’ is not fighting for the title because, for them, it’s not something profitable, that will bring the entertainment they need.

“This is what they did their entire lives, work with entertainment. We have to understand that. It’s hard because we think about the martial arts, what is correct. For the show, some fights make sense and others don’t. They end up losing some fans but gain some.

“I think they are trying to make it more entertainment and less martial arts. MMA doesn’t have the martial art philosophy, but it’s becoming less sport and turning into entertainment.

However, the entertainment factor could play to his benefit. The Spider is angling for a rematch with current UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping, who would surely take a money fight rematch over a challenge from Yoel Romero.

“I’d really like to fight Bisping, Silva said. “I think I deserve to fight Bisping, for the belt or not, for everything I’ve done in the sport, but that’s not something that will change my life if it doesn’t happen.

“‘Jacare’ is in the line, fighting, going after this. But for the UFC it’s a business, and for the business, I believe a rematch with Bisping for the belt would sell more. By the sport’s rules, ‘Jacare’ is the one who should fight for the belt now.

“If I fought for the title and won, I’d leave the division. Maybe fight one or twice more, move up (to 205) or go down (to 170). We’ve done some tests with my team and the lowest weight I made was 170, 171, so that could be a possibility.”