Anderson Silva weighs in on the GOAT conversation in MMA
With Khabib Nurmagomedov retiring after UFC 254 with an undefeated career streak of 29-0, the GOAT conversation has resumed once again. Is the Dagestani lightweight really the Greatest Of All Time to have stepped into the Octagon or there is someone else who deserves that label?
UFC Middleweight Anderson Silva is undoubtedly one of the contenders in the race for the MMA GOAT tag. Speaking to Bleacher Report ahead of his Fight Night bout with Uriah Hall, the former Middleweight champion weighed in on the conversation.
Anderson Silva thinks there is no 'GOAT'
Like many others, Anderson Silva said that he thinks Khabib Nurmagomedov is a great fighter. He has absolutely no criticism of the recently retired 155-pound champion.
"I don’t have anything [bad] to say about Khabib. He’s the best. I love him. He’s a great guy. He’s a great fighter," said Silva.
But when it comes to the GOAT of the sport, Anderson Silva thinks no single fighter can hold that title permanently. He said:
"It’s tough for me to talk about the GOAT. I don’t think the GOAT exists."
Anderson Silva clarified that he believes there is no 'greatest' fighter, there are only great fights and great moments. There is always someone better than the rest for a particular time period, but the name keeps changing, he said.
Anderson Silva named Royce Gracie, Randy Couture, Tito Ortiz, BJ Penn, and Chuck Liddell as the fighters who were among the greatest of their times.
"I don’t think there’s a GOAT. You have best moments. Royce Gracie was the best in his moment. Randy Couture was the best in his moment. Tito Ortiz, BJ Penn, Chuck Liddell, every single fighter who takes a belt does something special. But I don’t want to talk about GOAT. It’s just moments."
Anderson Silva's last fight in UFC
Anderson Silva will face Uriah Hall this Saturday in what could possibly be the last UFC fight of his career. Even though he still has two more fights left on his UFC contract, Silva wants this fight to be his last in the company.
The 45-year-old Brazilian is inarguably a legend of the sport but luck has not favored him inside the cage for a while now. Anderson Silva has only one win in his last eight outings, which came against Derek Brunson via decision at UFC 208 way back in 2017.
Silva lost his last two bouts in 2019 against Israel Adesanya and Jared Cannonier. If this is indeed Anderson Silva's last fight in UFC, he will want to go out on a winning note against Hall.