White Doesn’t Know What To Do With Aging Silva

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion Anderson Silva turned 45 back in April and has just one victory over the last eight years, a controversial decision win over Derek Brunson at UFC 208 in Brooklyn.

With just two fights remaining on the Brazilian’s contract, promotion president Dana White has to figure out a way to get “The Spider” matched up without getting him killed, while also finding an opponent to justify his $600,000 price tag.

“I honestly don’t know what to do with his last two fights,” White told ESPN (transcribed by MMA Junkie). “When Anderson’s really ready to fight, we’ll sit down and look at it, and we’ll figure out what we thinks makes sense for him next. There’s a lot of things that goes into the decision-making process with an Anderson Silva. His age, what he gets paid – all that stuff’s important.”

Silva has been flirting with former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, after “Showtime” called for an impromptu striking showdown “for the fans.” That didn’t sit well with White, who is not crazy about the difference in weight.

“I’m not crazy about it,” White said. “You’ve got a guy that fought at 145 pounds and a guy that’s in the conversation for the G.O.A.T. at 185 pounds and walks around at 210, 215. It’s not a big fight that really means something. I like making fights that mean something, so I’m not crazy about that fight.”

Silva (34-10, 1 NC), who also tried to finagle a fight with former lightweight champion Conor McGregor, has not competed since getting brutalized by Jared Cannonier at the UFC 237 pay-per-view (PPV) back in May 2019.

Any suggestions?