Published 16:18 IST, November 5th 2020
Dana White urges Anderson Silva’s family to “talk him out of” fighting again
Though Dana White requested Anderson Silva’s family to “talk him out of” fighting again, he concluded by saying that The Spider could do anything he wants.
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On Saturday, MMA legend Anderson Silva stepped inside the UFC Octagon for the last time, facing middleweight Uriah Hall at UFC Vegas 12 in his swansong. While the 45-year-old put on an incredible performance, he ended up losing in the fourth round via TKO. After the bout, The Spider confirmed his retirement from the UFC despite having one more bout left in his contract.
However, Anderson Silva later showed interest in fighting outside the mega promotion, claiming “this is what I do for my entire life and I do it with my heart.” Though Anderson Silva is still unsure about retiring from the sport, Dana White believes the middleweight king should hang up his gloves for good. During the post-fight conference, the UFC supremo hailed Anderson Silva as a legend but urged him to retire from the sport, claiming that he fears for the 45-year-old’s health.
“When the fight was over, he couldn’t even stand up to do his interview. He had to sit down and do an interview. I knew I was right, and tonight proved I was right, and Anderson Silva should never fight again,” Dana White said.
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Anderson Silva UFC career: Dana White makes a request to Anderson Silva’s family
Later while talking to TheMacLife, Dana White slammed the notion of Anderson Silva fighting under a different promotion as 'disgusting'. Though he requested Anderson Silva’s family to “talk him out of” fighting again, he concluded by saying that The Spider is a grown man and could do anything he wants. “[It is] disgusting that a commission would let him fight again. I like and I respect the guy and I just hope his family talks him out of it,” he added.
Even though Dana White wants Silva to retire from the sport, his UFC colleague Conor McGregor wants him to keep going. After UFC Vegas 12, the Irishman took to Twitter and wrote: “Real fighters never lose the fire,” asking Anderson Silva to keep his fire alive. He then asked the MMA legend keep looking for competition as the “right competition is out there, for all levels and ages”.
Although the tail end of Anderson Silva’s career has been rough – with only one win in his last nine fights - the legacy he created in a career that spanned over a decade is there for all to see. Silva is a former UFC middleweight champion and still holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days. With his legendary performances against UFC greats like Chael Sonnen, Nick Diaz and others, Silva is guaranteed to find himself in the UFC Hall of Fame one day.
Image Source: AP, Anderson Silva Twitter
16:18 IST, November 5th 2020