UFC News 2017: Anderson Silva Threatens to Retire If Denied Interim Title Fight Against Yoel Romero
There's no doubt that Anderson "The Spider" Silva is one of the best fighters to ever step foot in the octagon. During his prime, many have even argued that he may be the most dominating fighter in the history of mixed martial arts (MMA).
Silva was the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) go-to guy for years and he was willing to do anything to help out with promotion during difficult times even if he had to move up in weight.
But now the former middleweight is tired of getting overlooked and he's threatening to retire if the UFC doesn't let him face Yoel Romero for the interim middleweight title at UFC 212.
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Silva's original opponent at UFC 212, Kelvin Gastelum, was pulled from the card after he failed a drug test, and UFC has offered him several other options. But Silva wants Romero, and he wants the interim belt on the line.
"I say, 'OK, I go fight Yoel Romero.' Because I know I respect Yoel Romero, he's a great fighter. He's No. 1 in the ranks. But one thing — why Yoel Romero come to Brazil for fight me for nothing?" Silva said during an appearance on "The MMA Hour."
Romero also told "The MMA Hour" that he likes the idea, but he said he will only fight Silva if the interim belt is on the line. "I fight only with Anderson for the interim belt. If not for him, I wait for my time for the belt," Romero said during the interview.
During his appearance on "The MMA Hour," Silva also revealed that the UFC promised him a fight with Georges St-Pierre when he signed his last contract, but that obviously didn't happen because the Canadian fighter decided to take some time off from MMA.
St-Pierre is finally ready to step back in the cage, but instead of fighting Silva, he will be facing Michael Bisping for the middleweight title.
"Georges St-Pierre goes back and fights for the belt. I win my fight in London against Bisping. Why no putting me for fight with Bisping? I don't care for the belt, but I won the fight in London," Silva said.
Let's get something straight here. Silva actually lost against Bisping, but it was a close fight that could have went either way. In any case, fans would have loved to see them fight again.
Silva clearly does not want to face fighters who are far down the middleweight ladder while St-Pierre gets an immediate title shot against Bisping upon his return to the octagon. But will the UFC give in to his demand?
