MMA Worldwide

Choose Your Side: Machida vs Silva or Silva vs GSP?

Posted by Deshalen Barber on the 27 August 2009 | No Comments

 

Two of the world’s most perplexing styles in Lyoto Machida Shotokan Karate and Anderson Silva’s uncanny offensive arsenal are nearing a conclusion, with the two fighters possibly being forced to meet in the cage.

 

Dana White has said on numerous occasions he will give the fans the fight’s they WANT to see. “I know they would rather not fight each other but when three guys are in the same weight division, they are eventually going to have to fight eachother.”

 

While this doesn’t hold true to their scenario because Anderson is the current reining UFC middleweight champ and Machida has just recently been placed atop his throne at light heavyweight. One thing is for sure, Dana could care less, as long as the two men are regarded as the top pound for pound fighters in the world they will meet.

 

“And the same thing – even though they are in different weight classes, they are both I believe going to be considered the best pound-for-pound in the world - Lyoto Machida and Anderson Silva, and I think the fans eventually are going to want to see that super fight.” He then reiterated, “So that’s got to happen”.

 

Now I, like the next fan, would love to see this blockbuster match take place, but logically speaking if you are to use Dana White’s “formula” of what the fans want to see by the number of ppv (pay per view) sales and pound for pound rankings, then would it not make more sense for Anderson to face Georges St. Pierre at 185 or even a catch weight of 178 with a gimme pound?

 

This only makes the most sense for two reasons: 1. GSP is ranked #3 on most respective MMA sites and even as high as #2 on others; as opposed to Machida’s consensus #4 ranking on all pound for pound standings. 2. GSP has become an international icon, both in and out of the ring from his high profile celebrity relationships to his spots on Gatorade commercials, thus allowing him to be one of mixed martial arts highest ppv draws. Meanwhile, Machida is still relatively unknown. Actually, until his recent kamikaze spree, he was not even a top ten UFC ppv draw.

 

So this leaves me to wonder, does Dana truly want to put the two best pound for pound fighters with the highest ppv draw against one another in GSP vs. Silva?

 

Or does he intend to cause a schism between the BlackHouse training camp over Machida and Silva, because they are opposing his authority by not wanting to face one another?