Anderson “Spider” Silva remains in high demand for UFC brass, even after a subpar performance in a vacated victory over Nick Diaz, and a year-long suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs.
UFC president Dana White went on commentator Joe Rogan’s podcast (via MMA Fighting) and was asked about a possible rematch between Silva and Vitor Belfort when Silva’s suspension expires. "I know. I don't disagree. We're working on it,” White told Rogan.
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For those who don’t remember Silva’s first clash with Belfort, the Spider finished him with one of the most iconic kicks in UFC history.
Since that loss, Belfort is 6-2 with his only two losses coming against Jon “Bones” Jones and Chris Weidman, two of the most dominant fighters in recent memory. Silva, arguably the greatest mixed martial artist ever, can no longer be considered an easy favorite. He lost two of his last three fights in clear fashion to Weidman, and was found to be on PEDs against Nick Diaz, in a lackluster victory.
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White also indicated that Belfort is on board with a potential rematch, but there’s no hint yet as to whether or not Silva, 40, is interested in returning to the octagon. There is plenty of evidence that he shouldn’t.
With Ronda Rousey going down vs. Holly Holm the UFC needs familiar faces back to maintain their star power. Silva fits the bill, but a rematch with Belfort could be disastrous. Silva is 0-2 with a no-contest in his past three fights, and he was embarrassed in both Weidman fights. In the first one, he showed the decline in his once-astounding reflexes by clowning his opponent and then getting knocked out.
In the second fight, his body betrayed him when his leg snapped on Weidman’s shin.
These are not coincidences, and the fight vs. Diaz proved Silva isn’t the Spider of old. Diaz is a quality striker, but the kind of fighter Silva would dispatch with the utmost ease in his prime. Instead, he won a boring decision, and then the world found out he was not even fighting clean. Diaz also tested positive for marijuana, meaning the entire event was a farce that left all UFC fans with a bad taste in their mouth. There’s no reason to keep pushing the once-great Silva, and the way Belfort has performed lately, Silva may be in danger of serious injury.
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