Hyden's Take
HYDEN BLOG: Anderson Silva, The UFC Middleweight Title, and Ronda Rousey
Nov 14, 2012 - 10:00:48 AM HYDEN BLOG: Anderson Silva, The UFC Middleweight Title, and Ronda Rousey

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By: Frank Hyden, MMATorch contributor

Anderson Silva has said this week that he's not going to UFC 154 to call out Georges St-Pierre after the event in Montreal. That's assuming, of course, that GSP beats Carlos Condit and unifies the UFC Welterweight Title there. Silva says he's just going there on vacation and that he doesn't plan on fighting again until the end of 2013. I'm not sure I believe Silva here. He has a long history of making misleading comments in one interview and saying the opposite in another. I think Silva fights twice next year. The reason I think that is that he knows he only has a certain amount of time left. Time marches on, and Silva knows he can bank some incredible paydays in his next few fights.

I still think we'll see Silva vs. Jon Jones sooner rather than later. That's the fight that most people want to see, although GSP could convert some people if he has an impressive performance against Carlos Condit at UFC 154. I think Silva should try to get the largest payday in UFC history for one of these superfights. I also believe Silva vs. Jones would be bigger than Silva vs. GSP, but either one would be monstrous. Perhaps Silva only said that he doesn't want to fight again until late next year because he knows that Jones has to fight Chael Sonnen in April. Once Jones beats Sonnen that would open the door for a Silva vs. Jones mega-fight that could take place later in the year.

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After Anderson Silva said that he didn't want to fight again until late 2013, Michael Bisping said that he wants his fight against Vitor Belfort in January to be for an Interim UFC Middleweight Title. That's not going to happen because Chris Weidman is fighting Tim Boetsch at UFC 155 next month, and the winner of that fight could lay claim to also being deserving of a title shot.

If the UFC does create an interim UFC Middleweight Title, they could have the winner of Bisping vs. Belfort fight the winner of Boetsch vs. Weidman to determine that Interim Champion. That might be the only play if Anderson Silva doesn't defend the belt anytime soon.

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Ronda Rousey will become the first woman to ever compete in the UFC next year. There's a lot of potential here, but also a large chance of them blowing it. Rousey is fairly well-known and the UFC needs to capitalize on that. Her first fight in the UFC needs to be on a FOX card, no question. After that, you analyze the date and you most likely make her second UFC appearance be on a FOX card as well. You need to expose her to as large an audience as possible to turn her into a potential pay-per-view star.


Comments and suggestions can be e-mailed to me at hydenfrank@gmail.com