What Light Heavyweight could have fought Silva to salvage UFC 151?
Although UFC 151 has been cancelled for almost a week, talk is still going on about one of the biggest let-downs of the year. With Henderson out on an injury, the UFC offered Jones a fight against former Middleweight contender, Chael Sonnen. Jones’ refusal of the fight ultimately lead to the cancellation of the entire card. A first in UFC history.
It was reported earlier that UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva was considering a move up to Light Heavyweight in hopes of salvaging the card, but it just was not to be. The reigning Middleweight Champion weighed in on the situation during the Brazilian television show, Domingao do Faustao. As translated by Tatame, Silva was quoted as saying: “You did your entire preparation focused on one guy. When they replace a guy it changes a bit. I thought (Jones) could fight Chael, but it’s his call to make. He trained focused on Dan Henderson. His team thought it was better for him not to fight.”
“Spider” went on to explain why he volunteered to fight any Light Heavyweight except Jon Jones at UFC 151: “When I heard it, I called Dana and said I’d fight in the Light Heavyweight division although I wasn’t trained. Besides the big fight there are other fighters relying on that. I worried about that because I’ve been through that in smaller events.”
White seemed flattered by Silva’s offer to bail the company out, but conceded that unless it was a fight with Jones, the promotion had no interest.
We may never know whom Silva was suppossed to face. As UFC 152 has been rebranded as 151 and Jones will be fighting Vitor Belfort. If push came to shove and the UFC would have taken Silva’s offer, what other 205er would you have liked to have seen Silva fight? Rampage? Griffin? Belfort? Bader? Evans?
