Dana White: GSP Wants Nothing to do with Silva Superfight

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UFC welterweight king Georges St-Pierre (pictured) wants a superfight with reigning UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva about as much as he wants to go back to being a garbageman – that is if you were to ask UFC president Dana White.

Silva defends his throne Saturday against Chris Weidman at UFC 162. GSP could have easily leapfrogged Weidman to put on a box office bout against Silva, arguably the biggest fight the UFC could arrange, but White claims St-Pierre wants no part of “The Spider.”

“There’s no doubt about it – that’s a fact,” White stated following Thursday’s press conference of St-Pierre’s disinterest in facing the UFC’s most decorated champion. “If that was the case, he’d say, ‘[Expletive], Weidman. I’ll take that fight. I want that fight. I really think that Weidman’s going to beat [Silva], I don’t want Weidman to have that fight. I want to be the guy to beat him.’”

White admitted he’s worked tirelessly to arrange a superfight between Silva vs. St-Pierre (as well as Silva vs. Jon Jones, for that matter), but he just hasn’t been able to secure the scrap. When asked if he was upset that St-Pierre is unwilling to play ball, White said he understood St-Pierre’s stance when it comes to fighting Silva.

However, White was baffled GSP would accept a dangerous bout with Johny Hendricks at welterweight instead of taking a risky contest with Silva when you consider the lucrative payday he left on the table. If you take a risk, you might as well get paid.

“At the end of the day, [GSP] weighs 170 pounds. He’s the 170-pound champion. If he weighed 185 pounds and felt that way, yeah, I’d be real pissed,” White said. “Any guy who’s going to fight up in weight, ‘I’m the man here at 170. If I thought I was the man at 185, I’d be at 185.’ I get it. But it’s a fight that a lot of fans want to see, it’s a big fight. It’s a legacy fight, and it’s a fight for the pound-for-pound best in the world.

“But what’s crazy to me is, GSP opted to take a very dangerous fight [against Hendricks] at 170 without trying to take a dangerous fight at 185.”

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That's some bullshit right there and a bit of a low blow if you ask me.
Semi-shitting on your champ for choosing to defend his title rather than a superfight... and questioning him for not wanting to cut in line in front of a guy (whom you train with no less) who has earned his title shot at another weight...

^^^^^^^

10000% agree with you chrom on your view. I think that was a real low blow to a guy who has brought the UFC in lots and lots of money. Plus there are still WW contenders that are on the rise who havent had a shot yet. ex: Hendrix,maia, ellenburger,hathaway,eric silva,Pierce and even though it may not happen cause they train together but rory Macdonald as well. Plus if GSP did do that do you know how bad all the chants that GSP is ducking hendrix would be. It would be like silva saying im not fighting weidman so i can fight jones and every starts saying he is only doing that cause silva is ducking weidman crap.

Chrom wrote:

That's some bullshit right there and a bit of a low blow if you ask me.
Semi-shitting on your champ for choosing to defend his title rather than a superfight... and questioning him for not wanting to cut in line in front of a guy (whom you train with no less) who has earned his title shot at another weight...

OK, but if we're being honest with ourselves here, would you feel the same way if Dana said the same thing about Silva choosing not to fight Jon Jones if Jones was ready and wiling to take the fight? I find it very hard to believe that you would have the same level of empathy for Silva if Dana leveled this same exact criticism at Silva in the same exact circumstances.

You would be wrong. I have actually complained many times when a superfight is chosen over a title defense.

Fair enough. I think I do recall your stance against super fights. Still, would you defend Silva in that situation. I just don't think you have it in you to take Silva's side on anything. LOL!