Here are five reasons Dana White did the right thing by deciding against pursuing a Georges St. Pierre vs. Anderson Silva fight at any weight class...
(1) Forrest Griffin got destroyed by Silva, and it really could have done more harm than good in the sense that Griffin's drawing power going forward is greatly damaged. If GSP lost to Silva merely because of the weight difference at the time of the fight, and if GSP lost badly, it really could hurt his drawing power with the mainstream MMA fans who hold that against him.
(2) Anderson Silva isn't committed long-term to UFC. The last thing White would want is for Silva to beat GSP handily, be declared the best Pound for Pound fighter, and then end up losing to Roy Jones Jr. or signing full time with Strikeforce for a big money deal.
(3) There are many good fights for Silva that don't include potentially damaging one of UFC's other established headliners, and a huge draw in Canada. Looking at the calendar and how many fights Silva has time for in his career, there are many PPV main event caliber fights for him that involve other fighters who can't draw on their own otherwise and are better size match-ups. UFC is a business, if they can have a GSP fight on top in February and a Silva fight on top in March, and both feature quality opponents in intriguing match-ups that draw, why waste two fights to create one GSP vs. Silva fight instead.
(4) If GSP were to win, what is gained? It makes Griffin look weak, it makes anyone Griffin beat or held his own against look weak, it damages Anderson Silva's drawing power, and it establishes GSP Is the best yet his welterweight challenger list won't be any deeper as a result. So then does GSP move up in weight and fight undersized and end up losing at some point? He's better off dominating the welterweight division as the "Most Dominant Champion in UFC" potentially.
(5) Dana can always change his mind, but if the stars aren't aligned where it makes sense to do it soon, it's best to get UFC fans talking about other "dream fights" for both fighters instead of lamenting that GSP vs. Silva has been "put off another few months." If Dana's firm about it not happening ever, UFC fans can shift their attention elsewhere. But if circumstances are such in a year or so that it seems like the obvious "Biggest Fight Ever" again, and if Silva and GSP are at a point in terms of their careers and potential other opponents where the fight makes sense, Dana can explain how things have changed and it's time for the fight after all.
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Three is the only one that makes any sense. Just way off base here.
1- Penn got dominated by GSP, and his most recent main event did one of
UFC's biggest buyrates of all time. There were certainly other factors
(Silva-Griffin, post-Lesnar buzz, etc) that helped the buyrate, but you
definitely can't say there's evidence that Penn seriously LOST viability as
a draw. Few would go in expecting GSP to win, so a loss with some offense
would actually be a major positive.
Plus, in something you mention later, GSP owns the Canada crowd. He's
their hero, and that audience won't turn on him if he loses a fight. And,
in terms of overall appeal, he's gotten bitched by both Hughes and Serra in
recent years, and he's managed to come back stronger and more marketable.
2 - It's like you don't even follow UFC. They just put together a
multi-month campaign to reestablish Anderson Silva as the pound-for-pound
best, and now you're saying that they don't want to give him that label?
At the press conference for UFC 101, Dana White said, point blank, that he
is undeniably the best fighter in the world. But UFC wants to avoid that
identity?
Plus, they're talking about doing Silva vs. Mir or Silva vs. other Light
Heavyweights. If you don't want to build Silva at the expense of other
stars, why would you book him against people for which a win would be worse
(Silva beating any credible heavyweight is more damaging to UFC than Silva
beating the best welterweight).
4 - No one plays that kind of logic game, and for good reason--different
people match up in different ways. Keith Jardine got wrecked by Houston
Alexander, who got wrecked by Thiago Silva. Yet Jardine is the Las Vegas
favorite for the fight with Silva. Jardine also lost (as a heavy underdog)
to Rampage, who lost to Griffin, who got knocked out by Jardine. Cheick
Kongo beat Mirko Cro Cop; do people consider Kongo better than Josh
Barnett? There are endless examples for demonstrating the flaws of your
logic. All it takes is one fluke victory for, under your system, the
entire UFC rankings system to be nullified.
5 - Simply an incorrect point. Dana White has been talking it down enough
so that fight fans don't expect it (and get angry), but he also has to keep
the tease going so that if and when it does happen, it draws like a true
dream match.
We're witnessing this right now. Technically, Couture vs. Nogueira SHOULD
be a dream match. But because it hadn't really been pushed and sold until
the fight was made this year, the show likely won't do a special buyrate.
A dream match really can't be the product of hotshotting--it has to be
something that fans spend years craving.
