As we posted yesterday, top UFC Middleweight contender Chris Weidman has been struggling to get a title shot against Anderson Silva, but there might be a tiny peep of daylight appearing over the horizon. As we also posted yesterday, UFC President Dana White is becoming optimistic about the fight happening, from UFC Tonight:
“I think that fight’s closer and more possible than people think,” White said. “I actually thought Weidman was going to be out a lot longer than he was because of his injuries. But, he’s healed up pretty well and he’s going to be ready to start training again in a couple months.”
Perhaps more importantly, Silva’s manager Ed Soares is newly open to the possibility, provided the fight happens in Brazil, per UOL Esporte (translated by 5 Oz. of Pain):
“They’ll have to spend a lot of money promoting this fight. Anderson has more title defenses than he has fights as a professional,” stated Soares. “Anderson has told me that really wants to fight in Brazil again. Weidman himself once told me that he would be interested in doing the fight there. So I think that’s what should happen.”
Dave Meltzer had a little insight in the latest Wrestling Observer (subscription required):
Dana White this week reiterated that the ten fight contract with Anderson Silva was not signed, but is on the table and he expects it to happen. He also said Silva would fight both Jon Jones and Georges St-Pierre before retiring. Silva wants to fight, and his side has said they’d like for him to face either Luke Rockhold or Cung Le, saying they don’t think Chris Weidman has a big enough name and they don’t feel Vitor Belfort deserves another shot. The thing is, I don’t know that Rockhold right now is any bigger name than Weidman. Le is a bigger name, but not by that much today. I also don’t think they’ll make even as much with Le as with Weidman because I’d think Weidman, just because it could be sold better with promotion as a guy with a chance to win, would do a slightly better number. Weidman said he would be ready for fight on the July 4th weekend show, and UFC does need a big main event there.
The questions is now whether or not the UFC can persuade Silva and Soares to give up their demand that the fight happen in Brazil because the big July 4 event always happens in Las Vegas. Is Soares just making this demand knowing that the UFC can’t make it happen?
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