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Team Silva Calls for Challenge; UFC Answers
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 Anderson Silva and Co. demanded a challenge, and it looks like they’ve gotten one.
UFC president Dana White informed YahooSports! that the reigning middleweight champ will fight former light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin as a co-main event at UFC 101 in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love’s first-ever UFC event.
The signing comes less than two weeks after Silva’s lopsided, largely ho-hum decision victory over Thales Leites at UFC 97 in which the champ fielded an ocean of criticism from fans, media and White.
The less-than-spectacular main event was high on technical skill and hugely historic, but low on entertainment value. Afterwards, Silva defended his performance while his manager, Ed Soares, expressed his concerns about the UFC’s recent inability to challenge the champ with more multi-dimensional fighters.
White, who called himself “embarrassed” by Silva’s outing, responded with Griffin -- a challenger known for bringing fights.
“I talked to [a reporter] the day after [UFC 97] and that’s when I started working on this,” White said. “At the end of the day, it’s my job to put on the kinds of fights that you in the media will like and that the fans will want to see. Silva and Griffin is the kind of fight that even other fighters are going to go crazy for. That’s what I do for a living.
“Forrest loved the idea and said he’d do it right away, and Anderson told me he would fight anyone I wanted him to fight, no matter who it is. So we got the deal.”
“The deal” has all the makings for a heated, fast-paced fight, and is an added bonus to the headlining lightweight title bout between B.J. Penn and No. 1 contender Kenny Florian.
Soares said the champ is excited to face Griffin, the original “Ultimate Fighter” who defeated Quinton “Rampage” Jackson for the light heavyweight title, but lost it in his first defense via a second-round TKO to Rashad Evans last December.
“It’s a great fight for him and he’s anxious and excited about it,” Soares said. “Forrest is a bigger, stronger guy with a lot of cardio and he’s the full package. The other thing Anderson likes about it is that Forrest is a big name with a huge heart and is a fan favorite kind of a guy. That’s the kind of match that makes a legendary kind of a fight and that’s what Anderson wants.”
Griffin was previously slated to fight Thiago Silva in Philly. It’s not yet clear why White replaced Thiago with The Spider, or whether the newly announced Silva-Griffin fight will take place at 205, 185 or a catchweight.
The Griffin bout will mark the first of four remaining fights on Anderson Silva's UFC contract. As for the other three, White mentioned a possible middleweight title showdown with Michael Bisping, assuming Bisping defeats Dan Henderson at UFC 100, as well as an undisclosed middleweight signee that will “blow your mind.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Silva also expressed interest in fighting heavyweight champ Fedor Emelianenko, assuming White can rope him in.
But, of course, first there’s Forrest Griffin.
What do you make of Silva-Griffin? Are you excited for the fight? Who is the favorite? Sound off here.
Message Edited by ComcastSports on 04-29-2009 03:15 PM
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