Even if former long-time UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva loses to current titleholder Chris Weidman again at UFC 168 later this month, he’s making it clear he has no intentions of hanging up the gloves any time soon.
The 38-year-old, who has the same number of fights on his ledger, explained to Brazilian TV program Roda Viva, per MMA Fighting, that he has plenty of good fights left in him regardless of the outcome in his rematch with “The All-American.”
“If I lose again, all the media will criticize me, say that I’m not the same anymore, and maybe Dana will say it’s time to retire,” Silva said. “He forced Chuck Liddell to retire. He didn’t want to, and is a guy that made history in the UFC, but you have to be prepared …I’d say ‘thank you for everything, but I’ll continue doing what I love in other ways’,” he said. “I’d go to other promotions, fight in other sports, but I’d continue fighting because that’s what I love to do.”
While no one can really be certain what will happen during Weidman vs. Silva II, even with another definitive loss, it would be tough to say Silva is no longer a UFC-caliber competitor.
Prior to the Weidman loss, his first KO loss in his 16-year career, “The Spider” notched an impressive 17 straight victories, including a UFC middleweight record of 10 consecutive successful title defense.
During his nearly seven-year title run, Silva took out marquee fighters such as Rich Franklin (twice), Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen (twice) and Vitor Belfort.
Clearly, Weidman is no pushover either though, as he boasts a perfect 10-0 record as a professional mixed martial artist, notching wins over top contenders Demian Maia and Mark Munoz before getting his chance to capture championship gold.
UFC 168 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 28, with Silva vs. Weidman II headlining the event.
Will Silva reign supreme atop the UFC’s 185-pound division one more time or will Weidman prove the middleweight throne is his for the foreseeable future?
John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.
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