UFC President Dana White had some harsh words for a man he once described as the greatest fighter in the history of MMA, former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva: If you’re considering retirement, you should probably do it.
“Every time, for the last however many years, dealing with Anderson, it’s always interesting,” White told TMZ. “You know, obviously he wants an interim title; obviously we’re not going to do an interim title. He’s definitely coming out publicly, and you know my philosophy on that: if you ever say the ‘R’ word, you should probably do it anyway. If you’re considering retirement, you should probably do it.”
White also pointed out that reigning Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping is “ready, willing, and able” to fight the number one contender, Yoel Romero. Anderson, however, is only seventh in the UFC’s middleweight division.
Of course, Yoel will almost certainly have to get in line behind another pound-for-pound great— Georges St-Pierre—who may be making his return to the octagon before the end of this year.
It may therefore be a long time before Anderson Silva gets a shot at the title he held for seven years; and considering Anderson is in his forties, it is likely he may never reign atop the middleweight mountain again.
