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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Anderson Silva really likes his mixed messages. The UFC Middleweight Champino will be heading to Montreal this weekend for the UFC 154 event at the Bell Centre, a move which many felt would bring about an in-cage face off with Georges St-Pierre should the returning Welterweight Champion defeat Carlos Condit.
That's just what UFC President Dana White expects to happen, as the fight has been heavily discussed, with the only remaining obstacle seemingly being GSP defeating Condit. But now Silva's thrown a wrench in that conversation once more.
In a new interview with Tatame.com, Silva says that he's not attending UFC 154 to call GSP out, and indeed he now says he's not planning on returning to action until late in 2013.
"I'm on vacation at the fight," Silva said. "I think we just come back at the end of next year. [I've got] my personal projects underway. Tomorrow I'm going to Los Angeles to check on the progress of my gym, we're riding there. I think it's time for me to [keep] my life in order, because this thing of always being worried and having work, I just leave my personal life aside. I have my projects, my personal plans and will keep them moving forward."
"I'm going to Los Angeles and then go to Canada for the fight of Saint Pierre, and then I'm already there to shoot a movie, a feature film that I'll participate and Lyoto. It's an action movie. [It's] not my character to up and challenge anyone. I think it will not happen. I think not, I'm sure (laughs)."
Penick's Analysis: It's hard to know whether he's being serious or not here, but if he is it's going to disappoint a lot of people. If he's truly not taking the opportunity to call out GSP and set up that super fight with a clear narrative for the Spring, it's just going to be an unfortunate waste of an entire conversation that's been had about the fight. If he's not returning until late 2013, the fight can still eventually happen, but it's going to need at least one more fight for GSP in the Interim, and at that stage Silva will need to defend his Middleweight Title with fighters who will be lined up in the division. The time to do GSP-Silva, if it exists, is sometime in the Spring should GSP defeat Condit. If that's not going to happen, then time's being wasted right now with that conversation.
[Anderson Silva art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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