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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.
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.
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