View Full Version : Anderson Silva moving to 170 to take on George St Pierre?
Anderson Silva is thinking about a return to his lighter roots.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship's middleweight champion in recent years has ventured outside his customary weight with successful forays into the 205-pound division. Now Silva says he might try cutting to 170 pounds. Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole quotes Silva:
"It's not that I want to go fight Georges St. Pierre for his title. There's no doubt in my mind that he's the reigning champion, the absolute champion, in that weight category. But I just want to test myself and see how I'd do at that weight."
St. Pierre vs. Silva has been a popular choice for fantasy match-ups. The question generally revolves around whether St. Pierre can add enough muscle to compete with top fighters in the 185-pound division.
But it might make more sense the other way around, because Silva already has a welterweight history. His first major title came in 2001 when he won Shooto's 167-pound belt.
Skeptics might note that it's easier to cut weight when you're 26 years old, rather than 34. Silva knows that, which is why he says that if he makes the attempt, he wouldn't want St. Pierre right away -- Silva would ask for another fight first just to see if he can still make the weight.
If going down doesn't work out, he can always try the other direction. Silva also talks about trying his hand at heavyweight, and it's not out of the question, given that he still appears trim for his light-heavyweight fights.
Mind you, much of what Silva says should be taken with a grain of salt. Two years ago he spoke of retiring by age 35. Last year he wondered about boxing Roy Jones Jr. Both ideas quietly evaporated.
But the weight jumping seems plausible. He's done it before at the low end, he's already close to the high end, and both offer attractive match-ups. Anything that keeps Silva challenged in mixed martial arts deserves consideration.
::handshake::
Mr. IWS
04-08-2010, 02:44 PM
I dont think he will do it, but I just overheard Faras telling GSP to start his cut to 155.
I'm sure he's just being typical smug Anderson.
I personally think GSP would beat Silva
Ipickdeeznuts2win
04-08-2010, 05:42 PM
I personally think GSP would beat Silva
I'm with you. At 170, I think GSP could dump Spider for 5 five rounds and not get submitted or KO'd when shooting on him. I would put down money on GSP for that fight if it ever happened at 170. At 185, I would still choose GSP but wouldn't put any money down on it.
I heard some shit about this the other day.
I seriously doubt Silva would do it, but I'd like to see it if he's serious.
I do think it's interesting that he seems to be aggressively pursuing GSP and GSP seems to want none of it.
I heard some shit about this the other day.
I seriously doubt Silva would do it, but I'd like to see it if he's serious.
I do think it's interesting that he seems to be aggressively pursuing GSP and GSP seems to want none of it.
Why do you say GSP wants none of it? I've never seen anywhere GSP not wanting the fight.
I think this fight will happen
Why do you say GSP wants none of it? I've never seen anywhere GSP not wanting the fight.
I think this fight will happen
I know that anytime GSP has been asked about moving up to 185 to challenge Silva he dances around the question a lot like Tito used to do before he fought Chuck Liddell.
Yeah GSP has never explicitly said he is afraid/doesn't want to fight Anderson Silva, but he has always gotten nervous and tried to avoid answering any questions concerning the subject.
Very good article addressing the subject.
Reflections on Anderson Silva, Georges St. Pierre, and Potential Weight Shifting
by Michael Rome on Apr 8, 2010 1:13 PM EDT
Prior to UFC 94, Dana White was in favor of an Anderson Silva vs. GSP superfight. After St. Pierre destroyed BJ Penn with ease, White's tune began to change. He's retrospectively justified his attitude change by pointing to Anderson Silva's performance against Forrest Griffin, but the real reason he is opposed is a business reason.
In Georges St. Pierre, the UFC has an incredible cash cow. His fights draw such monstrous numbers in Canada that they're assured a successful number every time he fights. He's a poster boy for moving the UFC to the next level with sponsors, he represents the sport well, and he's likely to draw huge numbers for years to come.
Hilariously (sadly), there is a group of psuedo-informed MMA fans that actually like to bash Georges St. Pierre for not wanting to move up and fight a man that naturally walks around 40 pounds bigger than he does. Apparently taking on a steady diet of top contenders in the most talented weight class in mixed martial arts is no longer enough to avoid being deemed a coward by keyboard warriors, even though 3 of his last 4 opponents have been bigger than him.
The truth is much kinder to St. Pierre's legacy than it is to Silva's or Penn's. Unlike Penn, St. Pierre has never claimed to be bored in his weight class before demanding to move all over the place. He's simply taken on all challengers with the desire to be the best. Unlike Anderson Silva, he hasn't had injuries that depend on the drawing status of his opponents. Regardless of the business implications of the fight, St. Pierre has done nothing but accept whatever opponent the UFC gave him, whether it was Matt Hughes, Jon Fitch, or Thiago Alves. The fact that this discipline and respect for the sport is being held against him would be humorous if it wasn't so utterly insane.
This brings us to Anderson Silva. On the Countdown to UFC 112, Anderson Silva talked about being interested in potentially testing himself at 170 pounds. I blew the comment off at first, but I see he made the point again to Kevin Iole. Silva is always looking for "big" fights because his compensation is tied to buyrates, and he knows a fight with St. Pierre will do a monster number.
I have no doubt Anderson Silva can make the cut if he wants to. He noted on the Countdown, filmed nearly two weeks ago, that he was already down to 192 and would be 185 before even getting on the plane to Abu Dhabi. He can make 170, but that doesn't mean he'll maintain his power, reflexes, and endurance at that weight.
Further, Silva no longer faces a complete absence of challengers in his own weight class. Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort, and Wanderlei Silva could all potentially challenge him in the next year. But without strong semi-main events, none of those fights are going to draw big buyrates, and if Lyoto retains at UFC 113 he's not going to be doing much at 205 anytime soon.
I believe we're seeing a little bit of boxing politics between St. Pierre and Silva. St. Pierre is a superstar in his own right; he is a monster draw, and can make millions fighting a steady diet of contenders at 170. He doesn't need to fight Silva to make spectacular money. Silva, on the other hand, has a mixed track record as a draw. He's never headlined a show that did a good number without a huge co-main event. If Silva wants this fight, he's going to have to cut the weight and go down to St. Pierre's comfort zone rather than vice versa.
As far as the fight itself, I think it would be very interesting. I think St. Pierre can take Silva down at will, but Silva's wrist control and length will present problems on the ground. Given the immense size difference between the two men, making Silva deal with the cut down to 170 might make it a little more fair, all things considered.
Any worries that the loser of this fight will be damaged as a draw should be dismissed. After BJ got destroyed at UFC 94, nobody knew what his future held. There were rumors he'd retire, and some wondered if his drawing power, which had never been substantial, would be destroyed altogether as a result of such a severe beating. The opposite turned out to be true: Penn's next two shows drew better numbers on pay per view than any show he'd ever headlined besides his fight with St. Pierre.
I've long been a proponent of this fight, because first and foremost I am a fight fan. I want to see dream fights, and I want to see fights where I genuinely don't know what is likely to happen. If Silva is really willing and able to make the cut, then I'm all in favor of this fight happening.
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/4/8/141 ... rson-silva (http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2010/4/8/1410763/reflections-on-anderson-silva)
^^^^^whats the point of that article??Its just a bunch of rambling about nothing.
It says Dana wouldnt want the fight becuase of business reasons and then says BJ's numbers did better after getting beat by GSP
I think GSP would want Silva to move down in weight instead of him moving up
Made sense to me
Yeah but betting on Jardine and Vera also makes sense to you so thats not saying alot
I guess it's a question of reading comprehension.
I bet on neither btw.
I guess it's a question of reading comprehension.
I bet on neither btw.
reading comprehension???
I didnt get paid to read that
All i know is Dana better put something together because besides the HW division theres not alot of fights I care too see
All i know is Dana better put something together because besides the HW division theres not alot of fights I care too see
Someone has to take out these dominant champs.
Penn needs to make a permanent move to WW and they need to bring in some new LW talent. Too many wrestlers. Where are the great LW strikers?
There are some interesting matches at WW, but someone needs to take out GSP.
At MW, I'd like to see Silva/Vitor and it would also be interesting to see what Sonnen could do against Silva.
At LHW, Machida/Shogun is on the Horizon, Rampage is coming back, and Bones Jones is rising in the ranks. Exciting stuff there.
All i know is Dana better put something together because besides the HW division theres not alot of fights I care too see
Someone has to take out these dominant champs.
Penn needs to make a permanent move to WW and they need to bring in some new LW talent. Too many wrestlers. Where are the great LW strikers?
There are some interesting matches at WW, but someone needs to take out GSP.
At MW, I'd like to see Silva/Vitor and it would also be interesting to see what Sonnen could do against Silva.
At LHW, Machida/Shogun is on the Horizon, Rampage is coming back, and Bones Jones is rising in the ranks. Exciting stuff there.
yeah I agree
Why are dominant champs a bad thing? I think it's awesome. Not only is it great to watch them destroy opponents, but it's how legacies are made.
Besides, they're really not THAT dominant. What's the consecutive title defense record? 5 defenses? Pfft, that's pathetic in the grand scheme of things. Didn't Jou Louis defend his belt like 25 times in a row or some shit over a decade? GSP has been champ for less than 2 years, with 4 defenses. Same with Penn(3 defenses).
There are TONS of fights I'd love to see. Honestly just give me good fighters fighting good fighters and I'm fucking stoked. Challengers are always going to arise. Like a year ago the MW division sucked so much ass that Anderson was fighting Patrick Cote and Thales Leites. Now he's got a whole host of worthy challengers. Hard to consider a division ever really 'cleaned out'.
Just my take on it.
Why are dominant champs a bad thing? I think it's awesome. Not only is it great to watch them destroy opponents, but it's how legacies are made.
Besides, they're really not THAT dominant. What's the consecutive title defense record? 5 defenses? Pfft, that's pathetic in the grand scheme of things. Didn't Jou Louis defend his belt like 25 times in a row or some shit over a decade? GSP has been champ for less than 2 years, with 4 defenses. Same with Penn(3 defenses).
There are TONS of fights I'd love to see. Honestly just give me good fighters fighting good fighters and I'm fucking stoked. Challengers are always going to arise. Like a year ago the MW division sucked so much ass that Anderson was fighting Patrick Cote and Thales Leites. Now he's got a whole host of worthy challengers. Hard to consider a division ever really 'cleaned out'.
Just my take on it.
I dont think dominant champs are bad but I do like chaos.I also like new faces.I'm most interested in the HW's right now
Why are dominant champs a bad thing? I think it's awesome. Not only is it great to watch them destroy opponents, but it's how legacies are made.
Besides, they're really not THAT dominant. What's the consecutive title defense record? 5 defenses? Pfft, that's pathetic in the grand scheme of things. Didn't Jou Louis defend his belt like 25 times in a row or some shit over a decade? GSP has been champ for less than 2 years, with 4 defenses. Same with Penn(3 defenses).
There are TONS of fights I'd love to see. Honestly just give me good fighters fighting good fighters and I'm fucking stoked. Challengers are always going to arise. Like a year ago the MW division sucked so much ass that Anderson was fighting Patrick Cote and Thales Leites. Now he's got a whole host of worthy challengers. Hard to consider a division ever really 'cleaned out'.
Just my take on it.
I dont think dominant champs are bad but I do like chaos.I also like new faces.I'm most interested in the HW's right now
HW is definitely the most chaotic right now.
Mostly because historically, HWs is a shit division.
It's one thing to have dominant Champs(IE Matt Hughes, Rich Franklin, Chuck Liddell) but when you have fighters being FED to champions they have less than 5% chances to even hope to upset these guys it gets ridiculous. It kind of sucks when you can actually predict the exact method in which some of these champions will win and not even get excited about the matchups. I realize the game has evolved since the days of Hughes' first and second title reigns and when Chucks Sprawl and Brawl actually was effective but it would be nice not to see Anderson Silva fighting like he's bored inside the cage, and GSP like he actually intends to finish a fight again, and BJ Penn actually having something to be worried about from the guy he's fighting.
Something isn't right, nor is it intriguing when the only reason(s) these guys are getting shots are:
A) So the UFC can break open another countries MMA market
B) No one really deserved a shot but they had to have someone fight the Champ
C) Someone got hurt and this guy over here is the freshest of the potential contenders
I just read Silva will move up in weight to fight Mir .So hes dropping 15 to fight GSP and gaining 50 to fight Mir and sometime in between fighting Sonnen.At least he'll be busy
I heard he was thinking about fighting Megatron next
I heard he was thinking about fighting Megatron next
::lmao::
The stuff I am typing is coming from MMA sites believe it or not
It's one thing to have dominant Champs(IE Matt Hughes, Rich Franklin, Chuck Liddell) but when you have fighters being FED to champions they have less than 5% chances to even hope to upset these guys it gets ridiculous. It kind of sucks when you can actually predict the exact method in which some of these champions will win and not even get excited about the matchups. I realize the game has evolved since the days of Hughes' first and second title reigns and when Chucks Sprawl and Brawl actually was effective but it would be nice not to see Anderson Silva fighting like he's bored inside the cage, and GSP like he actually intends to finish a fight again, and BJ Penn actually having something to be worried about from the guy he's fighting.
Something isn't right, nor is it intriguing when the only reason(s) these guys are getting shots are:
A) So the UFC can break open another countries MMA market
B) No one really deserved a shot but they had to have someone fight the Champ
C) Someone got hurt and this guy over here is the freshest of the potential contenders
I think it's a treat anytime we get to see these guys fight. Having top fighters on the shelf for months and months in the prime of their careers is the real crime imo.
Besides, how do you define "deserves"? Name the last fighter who didn't really 'deserve' a title shot. Just because we don't think they have a chance in hell has nothing to do with the fact that they've earned their shot. They've won their 5,6,7, and 8 fights in a row and DESERVE to get their chance, and the fights aren't fought on paper. 170 and 155 are STACKED. The fact that we don't see these guys as a legitimate challenge should be more of a testament to just how good the champs are than a reflection of their opponents.
I can understand how some might not get excited about fights that shouldn't be close on paper, but I guess we watch for different reasons.
Besides, how do you define "deserves"? Name the last fighter who didn't really 'deserve' a title shot. Just because we don't think they have a chance in hell has nothing to do with the fact that they've earned their shot. They've won their 5,6,7, and 8 fights in a row and DESERVE to get their chance, and the fights aren't fought on paper. 170 and 155 are STACKED. The fact that we don't see these guys as a legitimate challenge should be more of a testament to just how good the champs are than a reflection of their opponents.
While I understand the sentiment of wanting a little less predictability in regard to championship fights, I do agree with everything in this paragraph.
Besides, how do you define "deserves"? Name the last fighter who didn't really 'deserve' a title shot. Just because we don't think they have a chance in hell has nothing to do with the fact that they've earned their shot. They've won their 5,6,7, and 8 fights in a row and DESERVE to get their chance, and the fights aren't fought on paper. 170 and 155 are STACKED. The fact that we don't see these guys as a legitimate challenge should be more of a testament to just how good the champs are than a reflection of their opponents.
While I understand the sentiment of wanting a little less predictability in regard to championship fights, I do agree with everything in this paragraph.
I understand it too, but it just is what it is, I guess.
Personally, I enjoy a first class, technical domination of an elite opponent as much as I do an evenly matched fight. It's just different.
Just me though.
While I understand the sentiment of wanting a little less predictability in regard to championship fights, I do agree with everything in this paragraph.
I understand it too, but it just is what it is, I guess.
Personally, I enjoy a first class, technical domination of an elite opponent as much as I do an evenly matched fight. It's just different.
Just me though.
I think the problem for me is that I'm just not a big Penn or GSP fan, and not a fan of Anderson at all.
I would love to see Machida be dominant and stay that way for a long time. I'm really hoping that his first fight with Shogun was kind of like GSP's first fight with BJ in that it was very close and different people had different ideas about who won, and that he comes back and dominates Shogun the second time around like we expected in the first fight.
I would also like to see Brock defend his belt at least 3 times. After that, I'll probably be ready for a rotation, but I wouldn't mind seeing a good run as the champ.
While I understand the sentiment of wanting a little less predictability in regard to championship fights, I do agree with everything in this paragraph.
I understand it too, but it just is what it is, I guess.
Personally, I enjoy a first class, technical domination of an elite opponent as much as I do an evenly matched fight. It's just different.
Just me though.
I think the problem for me is that I'm just not a big Penn or GSP fan, and not a fan of Anderson at all.
I would love to see Machida be dominant and stay that way for a long time. I'm really hoping that his first fight with Shogun was kind of like GSP's first fight with BJ in that it was very close and different people had different ideas about who won, and that he comes back and dominates Shogun the second time around like we expected in the first fight.
I would also like to see Brock defend his belt at least 3 times. After that, I'll probably be ready for a rotation, but I wouldn't mind seeing a good run as the champ.
I hope Roy Nelson becomes the champ. ::thumbup::
I hope Roy Nelson becomes the champ. ::thumbup::
Good luck on that.
I hope Roy Nelson becomes the champ. ::thumbup::
Good luck on that.
Tell me how much you love the belly
http://gonzogeek.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/roy-nelson-belly-rub.jpg
I still dont under stand why Roy doesnt get into shape and fight 205.He has zero chance imo of ever beating :Lesnar,Carwin,Cain,or JDS
Because he's had success, even while being a pudgy fat guy. Hell his last two wins were by brutal knockout in less than 5 minutes put together. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Because he's had success, even while being a pudgy fat guy. Hell his last two wins were by brutal knockout in less than 5 minutes put together. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Well thats fine if he wants to fight and beat B-rated fighters his whole career but he'll never win a title at HW was my point
Because he's had success, even while being a pudgy fat guy. Hell his last two wins were by brutal knockout in less than 5 minutes put together. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Well thats fine if he wants to fight and beat B-rated fighters his whole career but he'll never win a title at HW was my point
First and only man to hold the IFL Heavyweight title... Not overly prestigious but he did win a title at Heavyweight.
Because he's had success, even while being a pudgy fat guy. Hell his last two wins were by brutal knockout in less than 5 minutes put together. If it ain't broke don't fix it.
Well thats fine if he wants to fight and beat B-rated fighters his whole career but he'll never win a title at HW was my point
First and only man to hold the IFL Heavyweight title... Not overly prestigious but he did win a title at Heavyweight.
Wow the IFL champ I bet that title brought him in the big bucks
Being fat and blubbery might be cool and funny to people but he'll never win the UFC HW title.
Maybe Roy already knows he'll never be champ so he doesnt care to get in shape.He might be happy with the entertainer roll and thats fine with me if thats what he wants to do but I always thought fighters wanted to be the champ. Maybe he just wants to entertain and thats why he called out James Toney instead of Cain or JDS.
All i know is Dana better put something together because besides the HW division theres not alot of fights I care too see
Someone has to take out these dominant champs.
Penn needs to make a permanent move to WW and they need to bring in some new LW talent. Too many wrestlers. Where are the great LW strikers?
There are some interesting matches at WW, but someone needs to take out GSP.
At MW, I'd like to see Silva/Vitor and it would also be interesting to see what Sonnen could do against Silva.
At LHW, Machida/Shogun is on the Horizon, Rampage is coming back, and Bones Jones is rising in the ranks. Exciting stuff there.
Lets the chaos begin ::haptime::
Well thats fine if he wants to fight and beat B-rated fighters his whole career but he'll never win a title at HW was my point[/quote]
First and only man to hold the IFL Heavyweight title... Not overly prestigious but he did win a title at Heavyweight.[/quote]
Wow the IFL champ I bet that title brought him in the big bucks
Being fat and blubbery might be cool and funny to people but he'll never win the UFC HW title.[/quote]
I didn't say it was something to behold, you said he'd never win a title and he already has, that was my point. As far as him never becoming UFC heavyweight champion, can you name more than 3 guys who could even present a challenge right now for the belt? Apart from JDS, Cain, and Carwin no one even stands a chance to win that belt.
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