Eight months after Conor McGregor knocked out Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva fought Daniel Cormier.
Back then, few would have dared to suggest that a McGregor vs. Silva super-fight would even be a possibility but here we are, in 2018, with the meeting of two of the most lethal strikers in UFC history genuinely being discussed.
Prior to his defeat to Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 229 last week, McGregor named Silva as one of his dream opponents during an interview with Ariel Helwani.
“Anderson Silva would be a great one, what’s he at?” McGregor said.
“I don’t know why, Anderson Silva is a legend of the game, surely he wants a bit of cash.”
McGregor’s nutritionist George Lockhart recently revealed that ‘The Notorious’ walks around at about 171lbs, while Silva has never weighed less than 185lbs in the UFC, with the greatest middleweight of all time also fighting as high as 205lbs on several occasions.
The Irishman would be giving up plenty in the size department against the 6ft 2in Silva and while it seems like a bizarre match-up on paper, it’s one that interests McGregor and as all know, McGregor tends to get what he wants.
In an interview with Portal do Vale Tudo, Silva’s coach Rogerio Camoes has revealed the lowest weight that ‘The Spider’ could possibly get to for the lucrative clash with McGregor.
“If you really force him, Anderson Silva can make 179lbs or 180lbs,” Camoes said, as translated by BloodyElbow.
McGregor is hell-bent on getting a rematch with Nurmagomedov, at 155lbs, so it gives him a tough call. If he wants to face Silva, he will either have to do some serious bulking up, which could hamper preparations for another tilt at ‘The Eagle’. Camoes added:
“I was in Los Angeles one month ago and we talked about his return. It was nice because he called me up the next day and said he had a fight lined up and was just waiting for an opponent.
“There was this McGregor thing, too. I was at UFC 200, when Anderson fought Daniel Cormier, I remember Jorge Guimares talking to me. I remember Jorge talking to Lorenzo Fertitta about matching up Anderson with Conor, if he defeated Cormier.
“McGregor was in his prime. I was by his side and he said that they thought it was a good fight, they were interested. That’s when it all began.”
A lot has happened since UFC 200 – an awful lot – but this could be an entertaining fight that would do wonders for the winner in terms of legacy.
