Who could beat Silva?

[Edgeomatic]

If Sonnen ends up losing. Then the UFC Middleweight division is officially 100% cleaned out. Done. Gone. Finished.

White needs to stop shitting around and FORCE Silva to move up too Light heavyweight, get off his ass and set up a GSP/Silva Superfight or have a Middleweight title unification match between Silva and Strikeforces champion, Luke Rockhold.

Who do you think has the best chance at beating Silva? GSP, John 'Bones' Jones or Luke Rockhold? Another LHW or is there ONE more middleweight floating around that needs his shot?

My avatar should explain my thoughts on the matter.

 

[No More Sorrow]

Hard to say really, I'd say Jon Jones but i don't really think that fight is going to happen ever. I could see GSP wrestling his way to a victory over Anderson though.

I might even throw Machida or Shogun into this conversation, but J.Jones and GSP Have the best chances i think.

 

[The Cork]

Sonnen
Jones
Hendo
GSP

That's pretty much it, and he's already beat two of those, while a third (GSP) has an obvious size disadvantage.

Bones would be a 50/50 fight, because they are basically the same fighter, very unorthodox and flashy tall guys.

 

[Ryan]

Well Machida and Silva are both Black House affiliated so they won't fight each other. I also just recently read that a fight between Silva and Jones was not happening.

Here's the article:

After defeating his third former champion in a nine-month span, current UFC light heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones (15-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) is unquestionably among the hottest fighters in the entire sport of mixed martial arts.

In fact, UFC president Dana White is now certain "Bones" has leapfrogged Canadian welterweight titleholder Georges St-Pierre and should now be considered the second-best fighter on the planet.

But if a potential meeting between Jones and the man White (and most everyone else) considers the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, Anderson Silva (31-4 MMA, 14-0 UFC), piques your interest, don't get carried away.

"I don't see that fight happening anytime soon," White said at this weekend's UFC 140 post-event press conference at Toronto's Air Canada Centre.

The past 12 months have provided an interesting shift in dynamics. When the UFC first visited Toronto earlier this year, the "superfight" on everybody's mind was Silva vs. St-Pierre. But "GSP" hasn't competed since April, and his next appearance won't come for at least 10 months due to a torn ACL.

Meanwhile, Jones has made former champs Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Lyoto Machida look downright pedestrian, earning stoppage wins over all three.

And of course, Silva owns an incredible 14-fight octagon win streak, compiled over a five-year stretch.

So thorough is Silva's destruction of the middleweight division that despite wins over names like Vitor Belfort, Patrick Cote, Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Chris Leben, Thales Leites, Travis Lutter, Demian Maia, Nate Marquardt, Yushin Okami and Chael Sonnen, the Brazilian's detractors suggest his dominance is more a byproduct of a poor division rather than his own skills.

Add in Silva's two excursions to the light heavyweight division, as well as the striking similarities between his own lanky frame and creative gameplans to Jones' revolutionary approach ("The Spider" has certainly never crawled forward like one to open a fight), and the potential matchup certainly takes on a "dream fight" feel.

However, White doesn't feel the timing is right.

"I just think Jon Jones is young," White said. "He's 24 years old. He's just getting out there and fighting all the best in the light heavyweight division.

"What people have to realize, too, is Anderson Silva is 37 years old. They're in two different weightclasses."

Cold showers, everyone.

With four fights in 2011, Jones is expected to remain inactive for the next four-to-five months before facing the winner of UFC on FOX 2's Phil Davis vs. Rashad Evans contest (though Henderson also looms on the horizon for a potential rematch).

Meanwhile, Silva is nursing an injured shoulder and will return in May or June against the winner of the January matchup between Mark Munoz and Chael Sonnen.

So it looks like GSP is the only option. It's been long speculated that they'd fight eventually especially if they both dispatch of their upcoming competitors. I think it'd be a boring fight to be honest just because they're both rather conservative, but it'd be a skillful fight. I think GSP would have a good shot at winning. Silva's real advantage is in his striking, but GSP is definitely better on the ground.

 

[Edgeomatic]

Well Machida and Silva are both Black House affiliated so they won't fight each other. I also just recently read that a fight between Silva and Jones was not happening.
So it looks like GSP is the only option. It's been long speculated that they'd fight eventually especially if they both dispatch of their upcoming competitors. I think it'd be a boring fight to be honest just because they're both rather conservative, but it'd be a skillful fight. I think GSP would have a good shot at winning. Silva's real advantage is in his striking, but GSP is definitely better on the ground.

And if anything has been proven by Sonnen and Okami, it's that Silva has issues on the ground. GSP might be the best wrestler in the UFC, so if anyone has a chanc eto beat him it's GSP. I think Jones wouldnt try to strike with Silva and rely on his huge reach, that would get him knocked out. Silva is just too good of a striker for even the longest reach in UFC history.

I'd really like to see what Silva does when, without any excuses or 'injuries'. He runs into someone that can take him down. That might happen with Sonnen. Although, I'd be a little worried about a riot if he wins, and he should be too which might affect the fight. They're going to try to sell out a soccer stadium, full of Rabid Anderson Silva fans. I'd want the friggin national guard called in with AK 47's if I was Sonnen.

 

[Slim]

Sonnen doesn't stand a chance. Last fight Silva was very devoted to making Sonnen tap out to show that his black belt he earned from the Nogs was legit. This time he can focus a lot more on his striking and he is the absolute best counter striker in the UFC. Nobody comes close.

GSP has a chance cause he is good with his strikes. He does have like a 3rd dan black belt in karate so it isn't like he's just average at his striking. And his wrestling is good. He takes down pretty much everybody. Silva could tap him on the ground though.

Jon Jones can stand a chance though with his reach. His wrestling is also top notch and he does have good jiu jitsu.

Shogun... if he is healthy. This rejuvinated Hendo could probably do it.

Other than that... that's it.