17 Feb 2023
Why didnt Anderson Silva fight for the light-heavyweight belt?
- Cassius Belmont
- 17 Feb 2023
- Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
Anderson Silva is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the UFC. He held the middleweight belt for an unprecedented 2,457 days and defended it a record 10 times. Silva was a dominant force in the middleweight division and was never really challenged for the title until his defeat to Chris Weidman in 2013.
After his loss, Silva continued to fight in the middleweight division but never regained the belt. He then shifted his focus to the light-heavyweight division, where he had the chance to compete for the title. However, he never took this opportunity and chose to stay in the middleweight division.
There are many reasons why Silva chose to stay in the middleweight division. One of the main reasons is that Silva felt he was more comfortable competing at his natural weight class. At the time, the light-heavyweight division was stacked with highly talented fighters, including the reigning champion Jon Jones. Silva may have felt that he would not be able to compete with the other fighters in that division.
Another reason why Silva may have chosen to stay in the middleweight division is because of the attention he was receiving from the fans. Silva was already a household name in the MMA world and he had become a star in his own right. He may have felt that moving up a weight class would diminish the attention he was receiving and make it harder for him to stay at the top of the sport.
Regardless of the reasons why Silva chose to stay in the middleweight division, it is clear that he has had an incredible career and has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest fighters of all time.
