Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Anderson Silva was hoping to continue his mixed martial arts (MMA) career after getting cut by the promotion earlier this month, but “The Spider” is running out of potential suitors.
Bellator MMA head cheese Scott Coker recently passed on the 45 year-old Brazilian, insisting the roster was headed in a different direction. So too did Professional Fighters League (PFL) President Ray Sefo, who already used up his ex-UFC fighter card on this guy.
Add ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong to that ever-growing list.
“I am a huge Anderson Silva fan,” Sityodtong told Fightful. “Without a doubt, he is one of the best ever to do it. That being said, athlete safety is our number one priority at ONE Championship. As such, we will not be bidding for his services. I wish Anderson much happiness and success in whatever he chooses to do next.”
Silva will likely be welcome in Japan, if that’s what it comes to.
I’m sure the ONE Championship snub comes as a surprise to Silva and his fans, especially considering the promotion wasted little time in signing longtime rival Vitor Belfort. “The Phenom” turns 44 in just a few months and has looked equally putrid inside the cage.
Silva (34-11, 1 NC) is coming off a technical knockout loss to Uriah Hall in the UFC Vegas 12 main event on Halloween and has just one win dating back to late 2012. Perhaps it’s time for “The Spider” to say goodbye to the fight game once and for all, as requested.