Although the fight is still a long ways away, Silva’s manager Ed Soares was recently on Submission Radio to discuss Silva’s return to the Octagon, fighting Nick Diaz, and a potential return to championship glory for Anderson.
Silva once ruled the UFC’s middleweight division for six years as the most dominant champion the sport has ever seen. At UFC 162, Silva’s reign ended via a thunderous knockout at the hands of current champion Chris Weidman.
In their highly anticipated rematch at UFC 168, Silva’s leg snapped in two when Weidman checked a leg kick in the second round. Weidman was granted the TKO victory while many believed they had just witnessed the unfortunate end of Silva’s career.
Now that we know that is not the case, Soares explained that if anyone could return to championship form after such a horrendous injury, it would be Anderson Silva (Courtesy of BloodyElbow):
I think that’s going to be the biggest motivation, just seeing Anderson back to what he once was. I believe that there got a point in Anderson’s career where maybe subconsciously he forgot what it was like not to be champ, and I think now he’s kinda looking up at that hill realizing that he’s got some more challenges to conquer.
I think he’ll be back and he’ll go as far as he wants to apply himself to. I think if anybody can come back from an injury like this and come back and put that title around his waist again, if anybody in the world can do it it’s Anderson Silva.
If Silva beats Diaz in impressive fashion, it would make sense for the UFC to put him in a No. 1 contender fight simply due to the fact that he is amongst the greatest fighters and champions of all time. If Silva wins two fights in a row, a title shot seems more than likely.
