If the shaky Portuguese-to-English-to-Internet translations are to be believed, Anderson Silva -- the UFC’s current middleweight champion -- aspires to participate in only six more fights before “growing a pot belly” and yelling advice from the sidelines.
Forgetting for a moment that retirement in athletics is usually as permanent as a Hollywood union -- fighters in particular have a chemical addiction to the adrenaline dump of a packed arena -- it’s not difficult to see why Silva might be considering the appeal of central obesity and vicarious participation.
He’s really got no one left to fight.
Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin represented the two most substantial threats to Silva’s title: Both were thoroughly and impressively throttled. Nate Marquardt would probably be discussed as a dark horse for contention, but Silva force-fed him leather, too.
Michael Bisping? A rising contender, but title contention should be predicated on actually beating a top-10 opponent or three. Demian Maia? He’s ahead of Bisping in terms of quality opposition, but fans aren’t warm to him yet. Yushin Okami? An impressive 6-1 record in the UFC and some unfinished business with Silva -- he “won” via a disqualification when Silva illegally struck him on the ground years back -- but a conservative approach.
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