Anderson Silva already holds most of the major championship and fight records in UFC history, so win, lose or draw on Saturday night at UFC 162, his legacy is already intact.
So when he was asked about what the fight against Chris Weidman means to him, Silva answered honestly on Wednesday during a media session after a workout.
“Regardless of anything I’ve done, I feel like I’ve done everything I could do in this sport,” Silva said. “I’m the only guy whose got four belts in four different organizations, I’ve got the Shooto belt, the Cage Rage (belt), unified the Pride belt when I fought Dan Henderson and I’ve got the UFC title. So I’ve done everything I have to do in my career.
“So now it’s just about passing on the message to the kids and everyone coming up. Just continuing on with my career.”
At 38 years of age, Silva has won 16 straight fights in the UFC, defended his title 10 consecutive times and bounced up and beaten a former champion in a higher weight class in Forrest Griffin.
That doesn’t even mention the accomplishments he had before he made it to the UFC. He’s secure with his place in MMA history.
Time and again, UFC president Dana White says that Silva is all about his legacy and cementing his place with the biggest fights possible.
“Anderson Silva is on the verge of signing a new big deal with us, and he wants big fights,” White said in January on ESPN Chicago 100. “That’s what he wants.”
According to the long-reigning champion, he’s been to the biggest heights already, so now his career is just about teaching martial arts to the next generation of competitors.
“I’m relaxed because this is normal for me. I’ve been training for a long time. I like training, I like fighting. I don’t (fight) because I have the belt. I don’t fight because I’m the best pound for pound in the world. I fight because I love my work,” Silva said. “Martial arts has changed my life, martial arts changed the life of my sons, changed the life of my friends. Mixed martial arts, MMA is the new sport, martial arts is different. Martial arts changed my life.”
Silva refuses to amp up the pressure for his upcoming fight against Weidman because it’s just that—another fight.
He has seen everything before, and this is just another chance to go out and ply his craft inside the Octagon. Silva’s craft usually ends with his opponent on the floor staring up at the lights wondering what happened.
That’s the way the fights always seem to go when you’re the greatest of all time.
“The fight is the fight, it’s normal for me,” Silva said. “A win is normal.”
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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