Sources: Anderson Silva Re-Motivated, Wants Weidman Rematch This Year

Although longtime UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva said he was no longer interested in fighting for the belt after his devastating UFC 162 loss to Chris Weidman, it appears that ‘The Spider’ is now singing an entirely different tune. Weidman appeared earlier this week to discuss how Dana White and the Fertittas had told him a rematch with Silva would most likely take place in either December or February, prompting speculation that the rematch would be coupled with the Rousey-Tate title fight at UFC 168.

However, news came yesterday that UFC 168 was not to be the place, but that may not end up mattering at all. According to sources close to MMA Fighting, Silva has apparently (and perhaps predictably) shucked off his disinterest in fighting for the title and is now hell-bent on a rematch with the young champion who took his belt. The sources reported that they have never seen Anderson already so motivated for a fight, and that he was heard saying he wanted the rematch to take place this week.

While that’s obviously not going to happen, speculation could have the fight actually happening before the end of this year. Silva was medically suspended for 45 days following the knockout, but that shouldn’t have any bearing on a potential late-fall rematch.

Just as Dana White predicted, it appears that Silva is hungry to avenge his only defeat within the UFC and is looking to do so sooner than expected. I think that we will see a very different Silva in both action and demeanor when the bout does roll around, which will hopefully be before the end of the year. Will this be the biggest and most-hyped bout in MMA history? You can bet it’ll be up there with the best.