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“UFC Owes Me”- Anderson Silva Says UFC Denied Him Conor McGregor Fight

Published 08/18/2020, 3:01 AM EDT

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Anderson Silva is seeking a way back to the UFC cage, and he is eyeing a super-fight on his much-anticipated return.

While many had expected him to retire following his back-to-back losses in 2019, Silva is still not done. The Middleweight great vows to return to action by the end of 2020 or early 2021.

Not to forget, he has also bagged a legitimate opponent in either of Conor McGregor or Anthony Pettis.

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‘The Spider’ Anderson Silva is ready to roll in the cage

Speaking with Esporte Espetacular, Silva has clarified his upcoming appearance, teasing a possible super-fight against ‘Showtime’ Pettis. Thus, it instantly rules out Conor McGregor from the tale.

Initially, Silva and McGregor were bound to face-off after they went back and forth on Twitter. However, nothing has had been turned into fruition. Shockingly, Silva blames the promotion for not letting the fight go down.

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“UFC owes me a super-fight by contract. Conor (McGregor) called me out right after my fight with (Israel) Adesanya. Our team talked to his team, and we agreed upon a bout at (170 lbs), but something happened and UFC decided not to make it,” told Silva.

Amid the turmoil, Anthony Pettis expressed his bravado and accepted to encounter ‘The Spider’. There is still no official update regarding the fight. Yet Silva seems optimistic about making it happen.

The Brazilian veteran has also stated that he doesn’t want to face new talents at this point. Silva has achieved it all in the sport and will always be considered as one of the G.O.A.Ts. That said, he is interested in facing relevant champions of the sport now.

“At this point of my career and for all my legacy, it doesn’t make any sense to face new talents that are entering the game now. I don’t want to be a step for the new generation.

I want to face relevant champions for the sport and definitely, Pettis is a great challenge that will make me train a lot,” said Silva.

The Spider’s web in UFC

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Silva, the legitimate threat to the middleweight division, lost his shine with his first defeat against Chris Weidman in 2013.

Since then, Silva has fought six times, claiming only one win among 4 losses and a no-contest. He made a shocking return to action in 2019 by stepping against Israel Adesanya.

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After a three-round battle, Adesanya was awarded the victory via decision. While Silva re-appeared three months later against Jared Cannonier, he faced a crushing first-round TKO loss.

Now, Flexing a pro record of 34 wins, 10, losses, and 1 NC, Silva is looking forward to reviving himself back to relevancy.

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Written by:

Raj Sarkar

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One take at a time

A senior boxing writer at EssentiallySports, Raj Sarkar is a mass media graduate who is currently pursuing his master’s degree in broadcast journalism. In addition to his current role, he has worked with the MMA team at EssentiallySports and has interviewed prominent fighters such as Ritu Phogat and 'The Red King' Rory MacDonald. He combined his bachelor's degree with his adoration for combat sports and has a combined 2000 plus bylines in MMA and boxing over the last two years.
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