Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva is the greatest fighter in UFC history. During a recent media scrum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he said he wants to fight Conor McGregor, the first UFC fighter to hold a belt in two weight divisions at once. One explanation is obvious – it is an extraordinarily lucrative fight that he is likely to win, and Silva hasn’t had a win since 2012.
However, Anderson Silva has made, well, Anderson Silva money. He says he fights for fun now.
I’d like to test myself against Conor because he’s an interesting martial artist, said Silva, as transcribed by Guilherme Cruz for MMA Fighting. His stand-up game is an intelligent game. Not because he’s champion now, but for the martial arts challenge. I’d like to see how these stand-up techniques, his and mine, would mix, and how that would go. But not to fight for a belt or anything like that. For the challenge, an interest, that thing about knowing how a fight like this would go.”
McGregor won his first belt at 145, and the second at 155. But twice in 2016 he fought Nate Diaz at 170. That is close enough for The Spider.
I believe he can make 176, 178 pounds, right? That’s a weight I can get, said Silva. We started this work and I got to 174, but we thought it would be better now to do these tests.
“There was no fight booked, we made 174, and master [Rogerio] Camoes said, ‘Man, you don’t need this, you’re fine, so go back to your division.’ I know I can make 174 now, but my team and my doctor, Marcio Tannure, decided to stay in my division.
Silva has a less fun fight scheduled at the moment. He faces Derek Brunson at UFC 208 on Feb. 11. While Silva has not won a fight since 2012, Brunson has won seven, against two losses.
