Roundtables
ROUNDTABLE: Who is the most interesting opponent for Anderson Silva when he returns in 2016
Aug 18, 2015 - 4:15:35 PM ROUNDTABLE: Who is the most interesting opponent for Anderson Silva when he returns in 2016

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Now that he'll be allowed to return by February of 2016, who would you most be interested in seeing Anderson Silva fight next, and why?


MICHAEL BANE, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Tarnished reputation or not, Silva's still a legend in this sport, and many will still consider him the greatest of all time. While it's likely that he can still compete at a high enough level to still fight in the premier organization of MMA, it's unlikely he'll ever compete for a championship again. Even if he were to win a fight or two, throwing a legend into the ring with a Weidman or Rockhold just seems cruel. Seeing him get brutally smashed is just a letdown, and a reminder that even your heroes succumb to Father Time. It also will quickly erode both interest in his fights as well as his earning potential.

The Nick Diaz fight is a perfect example of the fights Silva should be taking at this point in his career. It's fun, it features a big name, and it's a bit of a hypothetical dream match that many fans have pitched over the years. It can also draw enough eyes to make the financial package worth it to Silva and whomever he's squaring off with. With that in mind, here's a few fights in that vein that would be fun to watch, and make sense. Silva may be seen by many as a PED abuser, but he was a great draw for the UFC, and the proper matchups can make everyone money.

1. Anderson Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre - This was THE dream matchup, super fight, and ultimate MMA fan-demanded bout for years. Two of the most dominant, popular, and legendary champions to ever take the stage were dominant, and only separated by one measly weight class. Silva always seemed more open to the idea, which would make sense as he was the bigger fighter in the hypothetical fight. With GSP needing motivation to come back, a large amount of money seems like as good of one as any. The contrasting styles and legend of the fighters sets up a great narrative to sell a fight fans have been clamoring to see for years.

2. Anderson Silva vs. Michael Bisping - Bisping had long talked about his dream of fighting for a title and fighting Anderson Silva. While he's unlikely to ever get that title shot, a tangle with Silva makes great sense for both of them at this stage in his career. Bisping still carries name value, talks a great game, and is a decently competitive fighter. His stand up style and smart boxing would make for a crowd pleasing striking affair. Assuming Bisping can get past Silva's PED issues, this is a fight that very easily could happen.

3. Anderson Silva vs. Lyoto Machida - This was always a fight I wanted to see, back when Silva was untouchable and Machida hadn't lost a round on the way to his Light Heavyweight Title. It was two exceptionally elusive fighters who had both speed and striking power in their fists. I'd put this fight in the very unlikely category, as the two have been longtime friends and training partners. However, it does seem that they've warmed to the idea since Machida has dropped to middleweight. With neither likely getting a title shot in the next couple fights, a large payday could convince them to meet in the Octagon, with the winner actually moving a fight or so away from a chance at the belt.

4. Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson - Hendo still hits like a Mack Truck, and despite his wrestling pedigree, he doesn't seem to care much about taking the fight to the ground. This is great for Silva, provided he can keep away from the H-Bomb right that Henderson lets fly. Two older fighters, both legends, have no reason not to take this fight, assuming the money is right. Henderson also gets a chance to avenge his UFC 82 loss to the Spider. This fight and Bisping are two very realistic possibilities for Silva, assuming he still feels like fighting come 2016.


RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Ignoring the premise that I'm supposed to be interested in seeing Anderson Silva fight again (I'm not), how can you want to see any other fight than Anderson Silva vs. Fedor Emelianenko? There's... there's really no more to be said about this.


FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

I'm not really interested in seeing him fight anyone. Not because of the PEDs or any of that stuff, but because I don't think he can beat a lot of guys at this point. Silva looked old and slow against Nick Diaz, and time doesn't help a 40 year old man with regards to that. To paraphrase Rick Pitino, 2010 Anderson Silva's not walking through that door. There's not many guys whom Silva is likely to beat at this point, at least not among those the UFC would put him against. Silva should just call it a career and enjoy retirement. However, that rarely happens with the greats so he might fight one more time and get his ass kicked and then retire.


BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST

Silva vs. the winner of Belfort-Hendo works for me. I can't stand to imagine a third fight between him and Weidman. Another viable option is Rockhold should he fail to get past Weidman in their forthcoming title bout. The options are pretty thin but another fight that could be interesting is Silva vs Lombard if Lombard moves back up to 185 lbs. for it, as they were both long standing champions in the division simultaneously in different organizations.


CASH NORMAN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Right now the middleweight division is filled with killers and I don't see Anderson Silva being in that mix. The aura and mystic of invincibility Silva use to cast over his opponents prior to a fight which often allowed him to beat them before they stepped into the octagon is gone. Unfortunately, I think he lost his mojo and once it's gone it's hard to recover. The biggest hurdle Anderson had to overcome was making a successful return to the Octagon to face Nick Diaz; he's already done that, so he should remain in Torrance, Calif., run his gym, be with his family, and forget about returning to the UFC.


DAYNE FOX, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR

Seeing as how Michael Bisping has seemingly faced all of the top middleweights who seem to have popped for some sort of PED, why not him? Neither have any real shot at getting challenging for the title and both are largely standup fighters so I see no reason why that wouldn't be a fun fight. I'd actually like to see him fight Lyoto Machida even more, but I don't think that one will happen despite Machida recently stating that he would be open to that fight. Unfortunately teammates don't often fight one another even if they have expressed being open to the idea. Tim Kennedy is another one that seems like he would offer a competitive and entertaining scrap, and he is only enticed by high profile fights at this point. This would obviously qualify. None of these would be a pay-per-view headliner (his days of doing that are likely over), but they could serve as a pay-per-view co-main or a Fox headliner.


[Anderson Silva art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]