Anderson Silva's camp is apparently not receptive to a title defense against Chris Weidman. In an interview with Brazilian website Tatame, Silva's co-manager, Jorge Guimaraes, called potential fights against Chris Weidman, Alan Belcher and Tim Boetsch a "joke."
Silva's manager, Ed Soares, explained to MMAJunkie.com that he doesn't label any opponent a "joke," but believes the best fights for the Spider are either a third bout with Rich Franklin or a super fight against welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre.
"At the end of the day, it's difficult to find an opponent that can fight Anderson," Soares told Junkie. "There's not a ton of them out there. I just think that some of his opponents just aren't as attractive.
"When I look at Weidman, I think he's a very talented guy. He's got a bright future. But when I look at it, he's 9-0. Anderson (32-4 MMA, 15-0 UFC) has got double the wins he has in his career in the UFC. So I just don't see the value of being able to fight a guy like this right now. That's my opinion."
Weidman has repeatedly stated he has paid enough dues in the UFC to warrant a title shot. His last two fights, a decision win over Demian Maia on 10 days' notice and a second-round destruction of Mark Munoz, are compelling cases. In addition, the division's other top contenders (Michael Bisping-Brian Stann, Alan Belcher-Vitor Belfort) are booked in elimination contests.
Furthermore, St. Pierre has been inactive since December surgery to repair a torn ACL and must get past Carlos Condit in November. Combined with the fact that Silva is 37 years old (38 next April), the champion may not want to wait too long for a "super fight" at a catchweight. Let him face -- and defeat -- Weidman and St. Pierre do his part, and then we'll have something.
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