Mixed martial arts, much like the world of boxing, has its own fair share of kings. Each “king” has accomplished something the sport has not yet seen.
If you haven’t figured out the three fighters I’m talking about by now, then chances are you’re not the biggest MMA fan. I’m talking about Anderson Silva, the longtime pound-for-pound champion, Jon Jones, the reigning light-heavyweight champion and Georges St. Pierre, the dominant
welterweight champion.
It’s common to see a situation where fans want the top athletes in a sport to compete. But I’ll not only explain why these fights should never happen, but why they can’t happen at this stage of each fighter’s career.
With Silva residing in the middle of the three at middleweight (185 pounds), Jones and St. Pierre can’t fight each other due to the significant size advantage of Jones.
Jones, who fights at light heavyweight (205 pounds) is simply too big for St. Pierre, who fights at welterweight (170 pounds). It’s easy to see how Jones and St. Pierre would be anything but a “superfight.”
I’d like to get one thing out of the way. MMA fans not getting the fights they want is a rarity in itself. The UFC has exploded by giving its fans the fights they want, even when they don’t directly ask for them.
These “superfights” are one of the few things that the UFC just can’t seem to get right.
Typically, it’s because both fighters have to agree to the fight in the first place. Once that happens, they must sign contract agreements and do a bunch of other backstage stuff.
This time, the idea is different.
Silva has gone on record, publicly stating he does not want to fight Jones, who responded by saying he does not want to fight Silva, and St. Pierre said he does not want to fight Silva.
There’s nothing wrong with this at all. Neither fighter should be obligated to take the fight because of the respect they have for each other. I think fans ultimately respect those decisions in the long run but still want to see these fights happen no matter what. It’s a tricky situation.
St. Pierre is fresh off a victory against Nick Diaz; a fight where he routed his opponent to an easy decision. After his fight against Diaz, much like the other two “kings,” he immediately had to face the superfight questions.
I will give you a few reasons why GSP vs. Silva shouldn’t happen now or in the future, beginning with the UFC’s current welterweight division.
The welterweight division has recently gone through a reconstruction by having the top four welterweights fight one another.
The division settled itself to having GSP have an upcoming fight with Johnny “Big Rig” Hendricks; a fight that even the most loyal fan is unsure St. Pierre will come out on top.
The welterweight division is the second-deepest division in the UFC, standing behind only the lightweight division. This means there will always be another challenge for St. Pierre to take even if he should get past Hendricks.
Having Silva fight GSP will severely damage the champion if he loses, while inadvertently damaging the welterweight division if GSP does lose. While he would become classified as the undisputed king of the UFC if he does win, it’s possible that a loss could damage GSP far beyond the fight itself, crippling the welterweight division as well.
GSP is currently riding a win streak that spans across six years. A loss to Silva would not only end his winning streak but make a rebound difficult as well.
The welterweight division is extremely talented, and a loss of momentum would prove to be a major problem for St. Pierre going forward.
My second reason comes from St. Pierre himself, who has publically said fighting at middleweight would ruin much of his athleticism by putting on an extra 15 pounds along with slowing him down significantly.
Silva’s significant weight advantage would likely cause too much trouble for St. Pierre, and GSP probably understands it’s a fight he simply can’t win.
A fan would want to see this fight just because they think it would be a great fight. But they need to look at this from the fighter’s perspective as well. Sure, the fighter would want to take on a fight because it’s a challenge, but walking into a lose-lose situation is a risky notion at best. At worst, it’s a big hit to your career.
Another fight that might not be on the casual UFC fan’s radar is one that definitely qualifies as a superfight.
Silva vs. Jon “Bones” Jones, yes the “Mayweather vs. Pacquiao” of MMA and the “Michael Jackson vs. Prince” of the octagon.
Jones is the light-heavyweight kingpin and the youngest champion in UFC history, facing off against the greatest fighter in the history of the sport. Unfortunately, this will never happen for two reasons.
We all know the outcome before the fight even happens.
Silva will not defeat Jones if the two should meet inside the octagon.
Silva, given all he has into the octagon, is an old man playing a young man’s game. At 38 with his next three fights planned out for him in his own division, it’s quite possible Silva vs. Jones won’t take place before Silva turns 41.
While Jones will be 27 during at that point, it’s highly unlikely this fight will be either close or a decision in favor of Silva.
With age, speed, strength and reach all in favor of Jones, logic will certainly prove to go against Silva in every way, shape and form.
Granted, Silva has certainly defied logic before. It’s highly likely this is a challenge Silva wants no part of and both he and Jones acknowledge it. Both using the standard: “I respect him too much to fight him” reasoning.
As a fan, there’s nothing more I’d like to see than Jones vs. Silva or Silva vs. GSP. But from a logical standpoint, there’s nothing more I’d love to see than the three fighters dominating their own divisions and the question of “what if” still hanging over each of their heads.
Simply put: Keep it the way it is.
