Anderson Silva is threatening to retire unless he gets an interim middleweight title fight against Yoel Romero at UFC 212 in early June. Silva was supposed to fight Kelvin Gastelum but Gastelum failed a drug test and was pulled from the card. Whether or not Silva will get his wish could be determined by when Georges St-Pierre returns. GSP is set to take on Michael Bisping and it was thought the fight would take place at UFC 213 in early July but that may not happen.
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Silva Wants a Title Fight
Silva said that he is willing to fight Romero at UFC 212 in Brazil but only if an interim title is on the line. Silva said on The MMA Hour that he is not going to fight Romero without some incentive. "I'm not going to fight Yoel Romero in Brazil for nothing," Silva said. "Yoel Romero is not going to come to Brazil for nothing. I talked to Yoel's team and we are on the same page. Let's go fight, but for an interim title -- because this makes sense."
Silva has been given some different options but it may be that only an interim title fight is going to be enough. Silva is very unhappy that GSP is getting an immediate title shot against Bisping. "When I signed my last contract, Dana and [former CEO Lorenzo Fertitta] say, 'Your first fight will be a super-fight with Georges.' Then Georges came back [from retirement] and nothing happens. Georges goes back and fights for the belt. I think I'm done. I fight for long time in my life and I'm tired. It's very frustrating."
Silva is getting support in his stance, especially from Romero who said that he is not going to fight Silva unless it is for an interim title. "Only for the interim championship," Romero told "The MMA Hour." "It's a good option, you know."
GSP Return Could be Delayed
It is looking more and more likely that Georges St-Pierre’s return will not happen at UFC 213 in June. UFC president Dana White said that the original plan was for GSP to be matched up against Bisping at UFC 213. Bisping’s manager Audie Attar said that he doesn’t think that date is going to work and it is more likely that Bisping will face GSP in late fall or even winter.
If Attar is correct then it could help the situation for Silva and for Romero as the UFC may be willing to have the two meet for an interim belt.
Vitor Belfort to Retire
In other MMA news, Vitor Belfort has said that he is going to retire after he takes on Nate Marquardt at UFC 212 on June 3 in Rio de Janeiro. That fight has not yet been announced by the UFC but both fighters have said it is going to happen. Belfort said he wants to go out with a final fight and he would also like o go out with a win He is just 1-4 in his last five fights with all four losses coming by knockout. Marquardt is just 2-4 in his last six fights.
UFC 212 is headlined by a featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Max Holloway. Aldo is listed as a -135 favorite in that fight.
UFC Women’s Featherweight Division in Flux
The UFC doesn’t have much of a featherweight division and if they don’t get Cristiane ‘Cyborg’ Santos re-signed they may not have one at all. Cyborg wants to fight Germaine de Randamie at UFC 214 on July 29 in Anaheim. Cyborg is only under contract with the UFC into October and she is not happy with the UFC. She is not happy with having to cut weight and she doesn’t like comments made by White and Joe Rogan.
The situation could be even worse for the featherweight division if de Randamie retires, as has been speculated. Cyborg is so fed up that she may just bolt the UFC if she doesn’t get a title fight. Megan Anderson is the current Invicta featherweight champion and a matchup between Cyborg and Anderson would be intriguing.
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