“The Time Is Now” press conference the UFC held on Monday afternoon may have failed at delivering the promised big announcement, but it was not light on MMA news.
UFC President Dana White mentioned two possible title contenders for 2015.
First, former longtime middleweight champion Anderson Silva was name-dropped. The champion has been out of action since he was defeated for the second time by Chris Weidman. A checked leg kick resulted in a broken leg for Silva.
Silva returns to action on January 31 against Nick Diaz. The much-hyped bout could generate enough interest, if Silva looks impressive, to shoot the No. 1-ranked contender back into a third title fight with Weidman.
Both of the previous bouts with Weidman ended with questions for Silva. The first encounter he lost his title to Weidman when he got clipped while taunting the talented American. In the rematch, the injury occurred and left speculation of what may have happened if not for the injury.
Silva has already been tapped by the UFC to coach an upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. Weidman defends the middleweight title against Vitor Belfort on February 28.
The other title contender White mentioned for a possible title shot with his next victory was Conor McGregor.
McGregor is currently ranked No. 5 in the featherweight division.
The Irish fighter has risen to stardom over the last year in the UFC. The hot prospect debuted and quickly made an impact. His 2014 campaign has only made him a stronger draw for the company. He helped sell out the UFC’s trip to Dublin and defeated Dustin Poirier in Las Vegas.
The No. 8-ranked contender, Dennis Siver, will be his next opponent on January 18.
White also said that Cub Swanson, ranked No. 2 in the division, will get the next shot if he defeats Frankie Edgar this Saturday. White did not mention if McGregor would wait for his title shot in this instance if Swanson did come out on top.
After a year where the UFC was decimated by injuries and a loss of star power for pay-per-view, title shots for both Silva and McGregor could play off in a big way.
Both McGregor and Silva are charismatic and dynamic fighters. That is a piece to the puzzle the UFC has been lacking for quite some time. Their ability to sell a fight globally definitely plays a factor in their potential title bids.
2015 is looking bright, but both fighters will have to win their respective fights first and foremost before walking into the cage for a chance to win UFC gold. Regardless, the first step is out of the way—getting White on board with the thought.
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