BEHIND THE SCENES MMA ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS
10/15/2012
Anderson Silva versus Georges St. Pierre or Jon Jones?
By Christopher ‘sLapDatSuCKa’ Jester
As mixed martial arts fans, we are watching history unfold before our eyes. Years from now, we will all say how we witnessed Anderson Silva in his prime. We’ll tell our kids how we remember when Silva beat this guy or that guy, or how he stepped up to save fight cards and proved once again how he was the greatest mixed martial artists of our era. That is the kind of legacy that Anderson Silva is leaving behind.
As he edges into the twilight years of his career, Silva wants only big fights. Who can blame him? He is 37 years-old and has accomplished so many feats in his mixed martial arts career already. There is very little left to prove, and at this point choosing the fights that will cement his name in the pantheon of time is the only thing that should matter at all. His whole career is full of highlight reel moments, but what else can he serve as he prepares to end his career.
Superfights. That is what Silva wants and it is what UFC President Dana White wants and it is what the fans want. Publicly stating that he doesn’t want to fight in the 205lb light-heavyweight division, this only leaves Silva with one opponent who could classify as a superfight. That man is Georges St. Pierre. A fight against St. Pierre has been talked about for years now. Although it has been rumored over those said years, no time has ever made more sense until now. Silva is nearing the end of his career, and St. Pierre is coming off an injury that sidelined him for some time, but who is also looking to get back on track. But with a looming unification title bout against Carlos Condit on the horizon, St. Pierre has plenty on his plate right now.
However, Dana White has other things on his mind. Considering that St. Pierre has to get past Carlos Condit first, White is hoping to take another viable and valuable option; Anderson Silva versus Jon “Bones” Jones. While this is another fight at 205lbs, a place where Silva said he doesn’t want to fight again, Dana White believes he can make Silva take this fight; hinting at money being the thing that will make Silva take the matchup. Both men have said they wouldn’t want to fight one another but Dana White always finds ways to get what he wants.
The truth is that both of these fights make sense. Regardless of which option is taken, it will make the UFC a whole lot of money. The only issue comes down to a few smaller details. GSP has to get past Carlos Condit first. It will not be an easy feat; something that GSP has stated on his own. While Silva is mentally preparing himself for this fight, the reality of it is St. Pierre must win this fight so that the superfight can still carry its legitimacy. The reason this fight is being made is because Silva and St. Pierre are two of the most well-known fighters on the UFC roster. Another reason is because they both have been so dominate in their divisions for so long.
A loss to Condit would set back the implications of the fight, but historically it will still produce a huge fight for the UFC and for both fighters’ careers. The same can be said about a fight between Silva and Jones. Jon Jones has also been a dominating threat in his own respective division. More importantly this is a much fairer demand on the weight differences between the two. Silva has gone up in weight on three successful occasions so far in the UFC and GSP is the much smaller fighter compared to Silva.
Regardless of which choice the UFC and Anderson Silva goes with, it will definitely entertain the fans. Whenever Silva steps into the Octagon he shows just how much a dominant force he is. However, the burning question in the back of every fan’s mind is: could a fight against Georges St. Pierre or Jon “Bones” Jones dethrone Silva from being the best in the world? Who knows? A return to middleweight leaves open the possibility of a fight against Michael Bisping or the Tim Boetsch/Chris Weidman winner. Either way, Silva has already made his legacy clear. He will go down as one of the best, if not the best mixed martial artists of our time. Just how will he close out his historic career?
*To purchase the art prints used in this article, please visit www.shomanart.com
Follow Christopher “sLapDatSuCKa” Jester on Twitter @sLapDatSuCka
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