UFC middleweight contender Lyoto Machida recently talked to Combate.com in regards to the possibility of facing Anderson Silva. The “Spider” said recently that he would accept a fight against the “Dragon” and Ronaldo Souza, although before his second loss to Chris Weidman last December he mentioned a Team Nogueira rule prohibiting him to face his friends. Here’s why Machida had to say about that:
It’s good for the sport. This is a fight that I would like to avoid because I know Anderson very well but, as a professional, we can’t think like that. We have to think that this is a fight that can happen, he can be a future opponent and this is something that we will have to settle in the octagon only.
Machida is preparing himself to fight against Weidman for the UFC middleweight belt at UFC 175, on July 5. Silva’s return to active competition is still up in the air after breaking his leg in the second Weidman fight, but he should be ready to go by early next year at the latest.