AROUND THE CAGE: Talk of Silva-St-Pierre UFC superfight bubbling over – New York Post (blog)

Carlos Condit (R) thorws a punch against Georges St-Pierre in their welterweight title bout during UFC 154.

Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Carlos Condit (R) thorws a punch against Georges St-Pierre in their welterweight title bout during UFC 154.

A potential superfight between Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva has the world of MMA buzzing – and it should.

Though it’s probably six or seven months away, it would be the biggest fight in UFC history, the kind of event that boxing has not been able to put together for more than a decade. UFC president Dana White said this week on AXS TV’s “Inside MMA” (via BJPenn.com) that he’s going to fly to Brazil to speak with Silva next week and then he’ll meet with St-Pierre shortly after.

Sports betting sites a
lready are taking wagers on the victor of the proposed megafight. Silva is the favorite (-185) with St-Pierre a slight underdog (+150) at bovada.lv.

Meanwhile, fellow fighters are weighing in on who they think will have their hand raised. Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans said on MMAFighting.com’s “The MMA Hour” that he believes St-Pierre, his former training partner, will beat Silva. UFC welterweight Siyar Bahadurzada wrote on Twitter that Silva is “not a smart fight” for GSP because Silva is an “unpredictable, creative and smart striker.”

It was only Saturday that St-Pierre beat Carlos Condit in a bloody war to retain his welterweight title at UFC 154. With an ice pack held to a large bump near his temple, St-Pierre was asked multiple times about facing Silva, who was in attendance at the Montreal event, and grew agitated.

But that’s all anyone is going to ask him about until the two enter the Octagon and look across at each other. Anticipation is bubbling over and no bout agreement is imminent.

Fights like this can be once in an era. Silva is the greatest UFC fighter of all-time with an undefeated record in 16 fights and a record 10 title defenses. St-Pierre has won 10 straight fights, including seven title defenses in a row. They’re also only one weight class apart – Silva at 185 and St-Pierre at 170 – so putting them together makes it easier.

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather are similar in weight, too, and we’re not any closer to seeing those two fight. When and if St-Pierre and Silva clash, that’ll be another success for MMA in an area where boxing has failed – putting the company’s two biggest draws against each other.

White says Cowboys Stadium, the Rogers Centre in Montreal and a soccer stadium in Brazil are the candidates to host the spectacle with Cowboys Stadium being the most likely candidate because of its neutrality. St-Pierre is from Canada and Silva is a native of Brazil. The UFC boss also left the door open for Las Vegas as a possibility.

The MGM Grand or Mandalay Bay are nice venues to host a fight, but this one needs something bigger. Cowboys Stadium would more than fit the bill. Pacquiao has fought there twice – against Joshua Clottey and Juan Manuel Marquez – and both times drew less than 55,000 fans.

St-Pierre has already drawn that much at Rogers Centre and that was against little-known Jake Shields. Against Silva? Six figures worth of spectators is within the realm of possibility.

Weidman out: UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman had to pull out of next month’s UFC 155 due to what he believes to be a torn labrum, Newsday first reported. Fellow Long Island resident and training partner Costa Philippou will replace him against Tim Boetsch.

An injury of that significance would be awful for Weidman, one of the top up and coming fighters in the UFC. He could be out anywhere from three to six months. This bad news comes just weeks after Weidman lost his Baldwin Harbor home to the the Hurricane Sandy superstorm.

Maybe when he returns he can get that deserved shot against middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

UFC’s White, Palms have falling out: Don’t expect to see the UFC back at the Palms anytime soon. The Las Vegas resort and casino cut White’s credit line in half and the president pulled his organization’s shows from Palms venues.

“I had a little beef with the Palms, and I ripped the UFC out of there,” White told MMAjunkie.com with a chuckle.

White was a huge tipper at the Palms, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He ran up dinner tabs between $15,000 and $20,000 three or four times a week and threw in $10,000 tips.

An unnamed source told the paper that White “changed people’s lives” with his generosity. Now he’ll be doing that at the Hard Rock, where “The Ultimate Fighter” finale will be held next month.

Terrible job the Palms. The Cosmopolitan is better anyway.

Quick jabs:
Ronda Rousey could have company. Sara McMann, a former Olympic silver medalist in wrestling, says she’s close to inking a deal with the UFC. Could she be Rousey’s first fight? According to White, a Rousey women’s bantamweight title bout could headline a UFC pay per view. … Matt Mitrione will step in to face Roy Nelson at “The Ultimate Fighter” finale Dec. 15. Shane Carwin had to pull out with a knee injury. … The UFC has curiously not yet extended a contract offer to former Bellator lightweight champion and free agent Eddie Alvarez. I still expect to see him in the Octagon when all is said and done. … Former Wagner College football player Mike Mucitelli was victorous Friday at Bellator 81, submitting Matt Uhde in just 26 seconds with an armbar. … Bellator is off Friday night for Thanksgiving. It returns to MTV2 on Nov. 30.

mraimondi@nypost.com

Comments

  1. I honestly think no middleweight can beat Anderson Silva.
    The only way i see silva being beaten if if someone steps down a weight or up a weight.
    But still can anyone from anyweight beat him?
    Many tried many failed no one has beaten him in the ufc.

    Can anyone Beat him?

    You decide.

  2. johnkaiser 22 says:

    Crocop actually fights at a lower weight than Anderson SIlva walks around at. He fights at about 220 and Silva drops from 225 to fight at 185 through diet and cutting water weight. Silva looks awesome at 185 but Crocop would literally kill 185 pounders. If Crocop would just drop 15 lbs through diet/cutting he could easily make 205 and fight Silva. Would he demolish Silva?

  3. If Fedor Emelianenko and Anderson Silva were to fight with same current weights they have now, who would win?

  4. lildevilgurl152004 says:

    n your opinion, what would be the best game plan to beat UFC middle weight champ, Anderson Silva?
    if I wanted to stand with silva and exchange, what would be my best tactic?
    I notice that when he gets your timing, he drops his hands, maybe faking my timing, letting him drop his hands, and then changing my timing would work?

  5. I thought for a person to become dizzy he has to get hit in the head and not the body like Anderson Silva did.

    Why does Rich Franklin look all dizzy when he only got hit in the mid section and not the head?

  6. I personally do not think ANYONE (even any of the heavyweights) can beat him. Some say Brock Lesnar can but I think in 1 round Lesnar would get Knocked Out by Anderson Silva.

    Anyways, your opinion on this matter? If so, who beats him?

  7. If you were scheduled to fight anderson silva in the ufc what would be your gameplan?

  8. lildevilgurl152004 says:

    WEC: Chael Sonnen and Paulo Filho
    EliteXC: Robbie Lawler, Cung Le and Frank Shamrock
    Affliction: Matt Lindland

    How are the middleweights listed above? would any of them offer a challenge to Anderson Silva?

  9. simply complicated says:

    You guys already stole ancient Egypt from us, Will Smith from us, Jon Jones from us. Why when there is a successful black person you white people always claim that they are part white but when there is a black crackhead on the street you people always assume that they are full black. Anderson silva is definitely full black or almost full black. Brazilians is a nationality you uneducated idiots not a race. Anderson Silva nose is black, lip is black, face structure and skin color is black. I don’t see no white or Hispanic on his body.

  10. Anderson Silva has been to LH before and being quite successful defeating griffin and Irvin. after reigning the middle weight division for as long as i have been watching the sport, its time Anderson silva takes bigger and heavier fights. My thought on it, that its just a marketing thing, and the sucking up all the fights in the two weightclasses to have a big superfight.
    your thoughts?

  11. UFC 101 coming up soon!
    Anderson Silva is probably my favorite fighter in the UFC but you can’t dislike Forrest Griffin. It’s gonna be a good ass fight.

  12. soccermaster1 says:

    They both good but, there’s limits with age as far Anderson and limited experience as far Jones.
    With the set of skills, more accurate, diverse, elusive striking and unreachable defense, I’ll go with Anderson Silva. Whats ur thoughts?

  13. Sir fliesalot says:

    When is the next time Anderson Silva is going to fight?

  14. Jack Bauer says:

    Anderson Silva has record of 20-4 loses, so we know he can be beaten. Floyd Mayweather has a 39-0 loses. He has an advantage over Silva with his record and his hands are too fast for Silva to detect where they are going to hit. Anderson can use leg kicks to distance himself away from Floyd and do a takedown and win by submission or by hitting with his elbows to Floyd’s head, something Floyd has never experienced in the ring.

  15. The question is though, does Dana White want Anderson to lose? Randy posesses the ability to beat Anderson, who some are saying is the best fighter in the world. Since Fedor won’t fight in the UFC and many think Anderson would hand Fedor his ass, why don’t we see Randy who is a natural light heavy, fight Anderson Silva?

  16. My questions are is there any fighter in UFC Middleweight division who is better than Anderson Silva? Is he unarguably the best UFC fighter of all time? Irrespective of weight division is there any UFC fighter who is technically better than him?

  17. Big Banger says:

    What was the fight where Anderson Silva slipped/dodged a flurry of blows from his opponent? I saw the fight a few years ago. The guy was pretty outclassed, and threw a whole bunch of shots and Silva was just way too fast. I know its not much of a description, but does anyone have an idea?

  18. Who in all of MMA do you think can beat Anderson Silva in the stand up?

  19. I think he will murder both urijah faber and dominick cruz. Its scary how good he is but is he the anderson silva in his divison?

  20. Anderson Silva has record of 20-4 loses, so we know he can be beaten. Floyd Mayweather has a 39-0 loses. He has an advantage over Silva with his record and his hands are too fast for Silva to detect where they are going to hit.

  21. If you had to bet all your money you owned on either Anderson Silva beating Vitor Belfort or Loyoto Machida beating Shogun, who would you go with?
    By the way…I’ll pick the dragon also.

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