Former longtime UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva isn’t interested in scrapping with Chris Weidman a third time, but he wouldn’t mind a matchup with ex-Strikeforce welterweight champ Nick Diaz.
In an interview with Brazilian media outlet Globo (translation per Bloody Elbow), “The Spider” explained that Weidman, the current 185-pound kingpin, beat him fair and square twice and he’d let friends/training partners Lyoto Machida and Chris Weidman try to avenge him.
“A rematch with Weidman isn't in my plans. He has already beat me twice, everybody saw that. Lyoto Machida will have his opportunity, Ronaldo Souza is walking on his path,” Silva said.
“Hey, if everybody is saying that this is a good fight, what can I say? I think that it could be too,” the Brazilian legend remarked about a potential bout with Diaz.
Silva suffered the only two TKO losses of his 39-fight career to “The All-American,” getting knocked out cold at their first encounter at UFC 162 last July.
The rematch was a little more complicated, as Silva shattered his left leg when throwing a hard leg kick, which Weidman checked perfectly.
As a result, Silva’s leg broke on Weidman’s knee in a gruesome sequence that left him unable to continue.
Silva has since resumed training full time and is expected to return to the Octagon by the beginning of next year.