Anderson Silva ‘Accepts’ Conor McGregor’s Challenge… Who Would Win?

In One of 2018’s Most Ludicrous Combat Sports Moments, Anderson Silva Has Accepted Conor McGregor’s Challenge for a Superfight…

Few fighters have Conor McGregor’s respect, but Anderson Silva is definitely one of them. The Brazilian former middleweight champion was arguably the biggest star in the organization during his heyday from 2006-2012. ‘The Spider’ was renowned for his incredible reflexes and moves straight from The Matrix.

Things haven’t gone so well for him in recent years, with only one win since 2013. That came in his most recent fight against Derek Brunson. He’s been banned for PED use and had suffered one of the most horrific leg injuries you’ll ever see, against Chris Weidman. Now at 43, the clock is ticking

So it must have been like Christmas for the Sao Paulo native when he heard that Conor McGregor was genuinely interested in a fight. ‘The Notorious’ told Ariel Helwani that he would definitely be interested in facing a true legend of the sport. Silva accepts his challenge.

Ready

Despite his recent PED problems, Silva is undoubtedly a legend of the game. With 16 consecutive wins and a record-breaking title reign as champion, ‘The Spider’ is legendary. He confirmed to TMZ that he would definitely be interested in fighting McGregor and told Dana White that he should think about this:

“I just waiting, I accept the challenge for Conor. I think Dana needs to think about this. It’s two big guys in this sport, two big names. Two big legends, and, why not?”

“It’s not about money, Conor. It’s about martial arts challenge. I think 180 for me is good. I think for Conor, too. Because that’s a superfight. It’s not about weight class.”

Seriously?

It’s actually insane that we’re even talking about this because there’s no weight division in the UFC where this could realistically happen. While he’s the most dominant middleweight in the history of the UFC, Silva has even fought once at 205 against Daniel Cormier. Meanwhile, McGregor is a former UFC featherweight champion. For those who can’t do the math, that’s a 60lb difference.

Of course, McGregor has fought twice at welterweight – against fellow natural lightweight Nate Diaz. He famously gassed out both times but was able to fight through it in their second clash. The extra weight does McGregor no favors at all. He’d basically be fighting Silva at his walkaround weight if it was agreed.

Who Would Win?

Realistically, Silva would have to be heavily favored. He’s taller, with a longer reach and he’s naturally heavier. Of course, his chin has taken a lot of damage and he’s a lot older than McGregor who is theoretically in his prime years. Just in case you were wondering, ‘The Spider’ believes Khabib would beat McGregor in a rematch. He said:

“I don’t believe Conor win. Definitely not. In a rematch, I don’t believe that. I believe in, Conor need to fight with me. That’s a good fight.”

It’s all about the money, money, money.