Former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva is left without an opponent after Kelvin Gastelum was forced to pull out of their fight at UFC 212.
The former champion does have a few opponents he would like to fight at the event, they are Yoel Romero and Nick Diaz.
“It’s a fight that would be interesting (against Yoel Romero),” Silva said at a UFC 212 press conference. “It would be a huge challenge, especially because Romero was going to fight for the belt. It would be a great challenge. He’s an athlete that has all the qualities to fight for the belt. So let’s wait. We’ll have to wait for the UFC and see what happens. It’s something that’s been talked about. It’s possible that it could happen, the fight against Nick. I respect him a lot. I think he’s an excellent fighter. It’s a fight that would be interesting, a fight that would be pretty cool to watch, and it actually makes sense. It was a no contest, so let’s see. Anything can happen.”
Silva has already fought Diaz once before, defeating him by decision over two years ago at UFC 183.
Despite his want to fight either Diaz or Romero, the former middleweight champion has turned down a few other opponents in recent days. Those opponents that Silva has turned down include former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Vitor Belfort and Uriah Hall.
“I’m coming off a win,” Silva said. “I hadn’t won a fight in a long time, so there’s not really a point in fighting either one of those because they’re coming off a loss. It doesn’t make sense. It’s not going to take me any further, so it makes no sense. I’m ready to fight whoever the UFC puts in front of me – whoever it may be. I hope the UFC puts an athlete coming off a win that’s going to bring something to my legacy, otherwise it makes no sense.”
It's worth noting that Romero's camp says Silva turned down a fight with them.
UFC 212 takes place on Saturday, June 3 from the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil with Jose Aldo and Max Holloway headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event.
