Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is ready to step back inside the Octagon. “The Spider” will face Israel Adesanya at the UFC 234 pay-per-view (PPV) from the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia on February 9th. However, before signing on to face the 29-year-old, Silva was lobbying for super fights.
One, in particular, was a fight with former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion Conor McGregor. Silva was also open to a fight with fellow former UFC champion Georges St-Pierre. In their primes, “GSP” and Silva were two of the most dominant champions in the UFC. Talk of a super fight between them during their heydays always circulated, but nothing ever came to fruition.
Speaking to MMA Junkie recently, Silva said that he doesn’t think St-Pierre likes to take real challenges. Instead, the Brazilian thinks the Canadian legend prefers fights that are “easy” for him:
“I believe Georges St-Pierre does not take the real challenge,” Silva said. “He just tries to do something easy for yourself, but this is Georges St-Pierre. He’s so smart. That’s the game, that’s the business. He’s a business man.
“For me, I prefer to take real challenge. Don’t put nothing in the mind of my fans, (saying) ‘maybe yes, maybe not.’ That’s why I accepted the fight with (Daniel) Cormier in two days (at UFC 200). That’s the difference … it’s not about fighters – it’s about martial arts. I like challenge and I try to do my best every time.”
What do you make of Silva’s comments about GSP?
? @SpiderAnderson respects @GeorgesStPierre for doing "smart" business, but as a fighter, he thinks he "does not take the real challenge." ?
More from Silva: https://t.co/iH91vvSaA8 pic.twitter.com/8oJ1FnRkI5
— MMAjunkie (@MMAjunkie) December 17, 2018
