MMA News: Dana White shoots down on GSP-Silva fight rumors.
Of late, fans online can’t help but circulate gossip and speculation of a battle between two of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time ever, Georges St-Pierre, and Anderson Silva.
Rumours are spreading over the internet that the all-time best welterweight champion and the middleweight champion are set to face each other at UFC 206, which is scheduled to take place in St-Pierre’s homeland, Canada. But the UFC President has shot down those rumours.
In an effort to clear the air on the issue, UFC President Dana White said, "That's not true. So not true. I know everybody keeps talking about it – GSP isn't even close. I'm telling you again, I don't think GSP wants to fight. I keep saying this. You guys know fighters as much as I know fighters, do you think GSP wants to fight? GSP wasn't crazy about fighting when he was fighting! Now three years later he's just dying to fight? He's not. I don't think he is.”
"That fight is definitely not gonna happen. I don't think GSP ever returns. And in some cases, that's not a bad thing. The guy retired, he went out on top, he's looked at as one of the greatest to ever do it and I just think he lost that fire a long time ago. For some reason - he's got his own personal reasons - he likes to keep his name out there like he might be coming back and everybody is anticipating his return, but at the end of the day I don't think he wants it."
This, however, could be White’s trick to conceal the big plans for Christmas, as he has used these tricks few times in the past. With the most recent being the initial denial of UFC being sold until which he stuck to the words- ‘the UFC is not for sale.’
There are other reasons that pertain to the White’s open denial of the fight taking place. Recently, White has gone on a run proclaiming that he knows GSP well enough to know if he still got the hunger to fight, and indicating that he doesn’t anymore.
According to some reports the Canadian star couldn’t negotiate the deal and the UFC couldn’t settle on his terms. While on the other side, Anderson Silva has expressed his disappointment with the company’s recent methods of functioning and points out the UFC’s lack of gratefulness for his contribution to the brand.
Gegard Mousasi recently called out Silva after his dominant victory over Vitor Belfort. But Dana White responded by stating-
"If Gegard Mousasi is looking for a title shot, Anderson's probably not the way to go. He's gonna have to fight one of these murderers like Chris Weidman or Jacare or Rockhold or Romero. One of these guys in the top five.”
The world has been waiting for a long time to watch the two pound for pound best fighters to collide. As per rumours the bout between the two legends was set as a middleweight bout. Whether White is in good terms with the duo or not, the new owners of the UFC would certainly smell money off this match up.