UFC champ Anderson Silva: I now want to retire at middleweight

[Drock]

Forget light heavyweight, forget heavyweight, and especially forget welterweight; Anderson Silva says he wants to stick to middleweight.

The UFC's 185-pound champion today said that he plans to retire in the 185-pound class and apparently is uninterested in fighting at light heavyweight (where he's competed twice) or heavyweight (a class in which he's previously expressed interest).

"I like my weight division that I fight in, and I'm prepared to stay in my weight division," Silva today said through translator and manager, Ed Soares.

That answer came as a clarification to an earlier question. Asked whether he had grown bored in the middleweight division – where he's set the record for most consecutive title defenses at six – Soares translated the previous quote.

Then, Silva interrupted the next question.

"Basically, what he said is that he said I didn't translate it exactly, but he wants to retire fighting in his weight category," Soares said.

Next weekend, on Aug. 7, Silva (26-4 MMA, 11-0 UFC) makes his seventh title defense when he meets Chael Sonnen (24-10-1 MMA, 4-3 UFC) at UFC 117 in Oakland, Calif.

The champion has largely been on the defensive since his most recent title defense, a unanimous-decision win over Demian Maia at UFC 112 that was almost universally panned by fans and critics. It followed another action-light fight at UFC 97 in which he and challenger Thales Leites failed to create fireworks over the course of a five-round, 25-minute affair.

Silva took the heat in stride and said he will continue to do his job.

"The fans are fans," he said. "They're cheering one minute; they're booing you the next minute. A lot of times, fans (are) the greatest thing ever. But sometimes fans don't really understand what's happening in the ring at times. So, I don't really blame them for reacting in some of the ways they react."

UFC president Dana White appears less forgiving. Upon the announcement of Silva vs. Sonnen, he said he will fire Silva in the event of another lackluster performance.

story at
http://mmajunkie.com/news/20070/ufc-...ddleweight.mma

[Drock]

well thats retarded, well i guess beat chael sonnen and vitor belfort then retire.

[Rich Davie]

Bummer... I was hoping to see him move-up the LHW division.

[Misfit]

That's fine if he retires there but after this fight, I want his next 3 at LHW, then he can move down again, own it again and retire.

[Red Tex]

Man, where in the hell does this come from?? It wasn't even long ago where several articles were released saying that Soares and Silva both said that they would love to fight at 205 and that there were plenty of great opponents. What happened to that? It seems like Silva gets bitter about certain things at times and holds grudges or something. Their camp both just said that he'd have no problems moving up and taking fights at LHW for over a year now. Dana should force him to fight at 205 though. Fighting anyone else at this point is useless and a waste. He's cleared out that division and Vitor needs at least two fights before he'd be ready for Silva after this lay off.

[Drock]

Man, where in the hell does this come from?? It wasn't even long ago where several articles were released saying that Soares and Silva both said that they would love to fight at 205 and that there were plenty of great opponents. What happened to that? It seems like Silva gets bitter about certain things at times and holds grudges or something. Their camp both just said that he'd have no problems moving up and taking fights at LHW for over a year now. Dana should force him to fight at 205 though. Fighting anyone else at this point is useless and a waste. He's cleared out that division and Vitor needs at least two fights before he'd be ready for Silva after this lay off.

anderson silva and ed soeres are retarded and they are bipolar and shit?

[MMA Guru]

It's going to be hard to find a clear P4P winner if Anderson doesn't go to 205 and/or HW and own. I was kinda hoping he'd do that to eliminate any question for #1 but it seems like that wont happen, and I agree, Anderson Silva HAS to be bi-polar (and his right nut Ed does to).

[Drock]

It's going to be hard to find a clear P4P winner if Anderson doesn't go to 205 and/or HW and own. I was kinda hoping he'd do that to eliminate any question for #1 but it seems like that wont happen, and I agree, Anderson Silva HAS to be bi-polar (and his right nut Ed does to).

you know if he comes in and dances around chael sonnen dana white is gonna do something crazy with him. make him fight shane carwin in december

[Misfit]

you know if he comes in and dances around chael sonnen dana white is gonna do something crazy with him. make him fight shane carwin in december

That would be fucking great, I would love to see that and could see Dana making that happen.

[Drock]

That would be fucking great, I would love to see that and could see Dana making that happen.

anderson silva would some how win, that'd really piss me off.