Sometimes there’s a fight that just makes sense. Whether it’s putting two contenders for the “GOAT” title against one another, or just a stylistic match-up that begs to happen. Usually, for a variety of reasons, these fights just don’t happen. Anderson Silva vs Georges St. Pierre is a fight that long-time MMA fans are sick of being teased about, but it actually makes perfect sense now so here we go again…
Follow the Money
This superfight was talked about for years and years, and never happened. When the UFC has two huge stars in different weight-classes, it’s not in the company’s best interest to have one of their top guys get beaten even thought it would be a huge PPV. That one fight would be huge, but it would hurt one of the fighter’s brands moving forward. However, in light of recent developments, there’s nothing to lose and everything to gain. GSP has talked about the stress and anxiety of holding the title, and how much of a toll that takes. When Anderson first lost the belt to Weidman, he also made similar comments. GSP vs Silva would be the biggest non-title fight of all time, but everyone knows there’s a different title on the line: G.O.A.T. You have two guys who are arguably the best MMA fighters ever, and they’ve never fought despite being active and relatively close in weight. Isn’t that some shit?! This isn’t as egregious as the Manny vs Floyd (in their primes) fight that never happened, but it’s definitely the MMA equivalent.
Scrapes and Bruises
It still looks like Anderson will make a return in late 2014 or early 2015 according to Dana White (grain of salt), and that will have given Georges a nice long break from the sport. GSP, like Silva, is also recovering from a leg injury, but the French Canadian’s accident happened during training after he had already stepped away from fighting, and Anderson’s injury wasn’t an accident at all. The point is that these two will probably be feeling healthy and ready to go around the same time with similar downtime. GSP is no stranger to ring rust, so the real question will be how is Anderson going to look after everything he’s been through?
Best. Comeback. Ever.
Now that both of these fighters are no longer champions, and have had some time off, why not have a GSP vs Silva comeback fight? Neither of them is washed up and over the hill, so this would still be a great fight. How would a conservative GSP fare against the unpredictable style of Anderson Silva? Anderson, despite keeping his hands low to block take downs, is no stranger to being on his back. There isn’t one single MMA fan who wouldn’t want to watch this fight. And frankly, none of the other possible match-ups for these guys are anywhere near as interesting no matter what the promoters try to tell you.
Name ANY Fight That Would Be Bigger…
I challenge you to name a fight that would be a bigger draw than Anderson vs GSP, even if it happened in 2015. The two most dominant champions of all time, each without a title amidst controversy, stepping into the cage together? If that isn’t the biggest PayPerView of all time, I’ll eat Fedor’s kettlebell.
Reasons Why GSP vs Silva Makes Perfect Sense
- One of GSP’s reasons for leaving was PED use, which wouldn’t be an issue with Silva.
- The UFC is due for a HUGE show, rather than frequent smaller ones.
- Both fighters are coming off a long lay-off and a leg injury.
- Everyone wants to know who would win.
- If this doesn’t happen, you KNOW we’ll get hit with Silva vs Sonnen III.
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