Anderson Silva: The UFC Isn’t A Sport Anymore

Former UFC middleweight king Anderson Silva is set to make his Octagon return, when he takes on No. 7-ranked Derek Brunson in the co-main event of UFC 208 next month (Saturday, February 11, 2017).

”’The Spider’s’ last Octagon appearance saw him suffer a unanimous decision loss to light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier in a 205-pound contest at UFC 200, after stepping in for Jon Jones who was pulled from the event after a United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) violation. UFC 200 marked the last event the promotion was under ownership of the Ferttita brothers, as they announced the $4 billion sale of the UFC to WME-IMG the very next day.

During a recent interview with Brazilian TV show Combate News (via MMA Fighting), Silva stated that he believes the sale to WME-IMG was a ‘big risk’ for the promotion:

“I think they just took a big risk because the face of the UFC was always Dana (White) and Lorenzo,” Silva said. “When you don’t have Dana and Lorenzo, the good cop and the bad cop, it’s kind of up in the air. But let’s be positive. I believe everything will be alright.”

The former 185-pound champ believes that the entertainment-based WME-IMG is a key reason people like No. 3-ranked middleweight Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza are not getting their respective shots at UFC titles:

“It’s a company that is worried about entertainment. It’s not a company with a history in martial arts, the philosophy of the fight,” Silva said. “That’s one of the reasons why ‘Jacare’ is not fighting for the title because, for them, it’s not something profitable, that will bring the entertainment they need.

“This is what they did their entire lives, work with entertainment. We have to understand that. It’s hard because we think about the martial arts, what is correct. For the show, some fights make sense and others don’t. They end up losing some fans but gain some.

“I think they are trying to make it more entertainment and and less martial arts,” he added. “MMA doesn’t have the martial art philosophy, but it’s becoming less sport and turning into entertainment.”

After everything he has done for the sport Silva believes he is deserving of a shot at current 185-pound champion Michael Bisping, who defeated him in a controversial bout last February via unanimous decision, but could care less if Bisping’s title was on the line:

“I’d really like to fight Bisping,” Silva said. “I think I deserve to fight Bisping, for the belt or not, for everything I’ve done in the sport, but that’s not something that will change my life if it doesn’t happen.

“‘Jacare’ is in the line, fighting, going after this (chance). But for the UFC it’s a business, and for the business (side), I believe a rematch with Bisping for the belt would sell more. By the sport’s rules, ‘Jacare’ is the one who should fight for the belt now.”

If Silva were to once again win the UFC’s middleweight crown he won’t be defending the title, but rather make a jump up to the light heavyweight division; or cut down to 170 pounds to test himself there: