...OH, ONE MORE THING - PLEASE BOOKMARK US & VISIT DAILY!
By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva hasn't ever been clear about how much time he's got left in the sport. In one interview, he's ready to walk away, in another, he says he'll fight for five more years. Well, if he's planning on continuing on with his career, he's been locked in for a lengthy new contract with the UFC.
That's according to UFC President Dana White, who confirmed on Saturday after the UFC 155 post-fight press conference that Silva has signed a new deal with the organization.
"Ten. He signed a 10-fight deal," White said (transcribed by MMAWeekly.com). "I don't think we've ever done a 10-fight deal. Maybe we did one with Forrest once, I don't remember, but Anderson said, 'I want a 10-fight deal, not an eight-fight deal.' I'll give him a 100-fight deal if he wants one."
Though Silva hasn't fought more than twice a year since 2008, White thinks this new deal could spark more frequency in Silva's fights.
"Ten more fights, realistically, is three more years," White said. "I mean, the guy is 38, but he doesn't look it."
Penick's Analysis: I highly doubt we see Silva fighting three to four times in a year at the pace his fights have been coming together, but a ten-fight deal means that he's (hopefully) serious about fighting on for some time. Of course, he could retire after one and that would be that, but he's likely to be around for at least a few years, and possibly longer. For now, the UFC at least has a belief that he's ready to keep fighting for a considerable amount of time longer.
Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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