KIDWCKED
10-13-2012, 06:42 PM
c/p from ESPN
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva reiterated he has no interest in a proposed super fight against light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Silva (32-4) is set to face Stephan Bonnar in a non-title light heavyweight affair Saturday at UFC 153 in Rio de Janeiro. It will be his third venture into the 205-pound division. He finished each of the first two fights via first-round knockout.
A fight against Jones (17-1) would be a highly marketable event for the UFC. However, both fighters have expressed opposition to the idea, with Silva the latest to do so Thursday.
"There are many possibilities," Silva said through an interpreter. "But fighting Jon Jones is one of them that I don't think is possible. There is no way."
That statement came less than 24 hours after UFC president Dana White suggested the possibility of a Jones-Silva fight during an interview on "SportsCenter."
"There's been all this talk about a Jon Jones fight with Anderson Silva," White said. "That fight or the Georges St. Pierre fight is the fight people want to see. I honestly believe Anderson Silva is putting his toe in the water testing 205 pounds."
Silva has expressed far more interest in the proposed matchup with welterweight champion St. Pierre (22-2). The Canadian is scheduled to defend the belt against interim titleholder Carlos Condit in Montreal next month.
With 10 consecutive title defenses, Silva remains the most dominant champion in UFC history. He never has suffered a loss since joining the promotion in 2006.
"I'm lucky everything has worked out," Silva said. "I think the most difficult thing, in my opinion, is to stay there. People are demanding things from you all the time and you always have to be focused and concentrated on anything that might happen.
"It's always much more difficult to stay at the top than it is to get there."
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva reiterated he has no interest in a proposed super fight against light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Silva (32-4) is set to face Stephan Bonnar in a non-title light heavyweight affair Saturday at UFC 153 in Rio de Janeiro. It will be his third venture into the 205-pound division. He finished each of the first two fights via first-round knockout.
A fight against Jones (17-1) would be a highly marketable event for the UFC. However, both fighters have expressed opposition to the idea, with Silva the latest to do so Thursday.
"There are many possibilities," Silva said through an interpreter. "But fighting Jon Jones is one of them that I don't think is possible. There is no way."
That statement came less than 24 hours after UFC president Dana White suggested the possibility of a Jones-Silva fight during an interview on "SportsCenter."
"There's been all this talk about a Jon Jones fight with Anderson Silva," White said. "That fight or the Georges St. Pierre fight is the fight people want to see. I honestly believe Anderson Silva is putting his toe in the water testing 205 pounds."
Silva has expressed far more interest in the proposed matchup with welterweight champion St. Pierre (22-2). The Canadian is scheduled to defend the belt against interim titleholder Carlos Condit in Montreal next month.
With 10 consecutive title defenses, Silva remains the most dominant champion in UFC history. He never has suffered a loss since joining the promotion in 2006.
"I'm lucky everything has worked out," Silva said. "I think the most difficult thing, in my opinion, is to stay there. People are demanding things from you all the time and you always have to be focused and concentrated on anything that might happen.
"It's always much more difficult to stay at the top than it is to get there."