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Anderson Silva's UFC tenure is remembered fondly. He was one of the most entertaining fighters to watch due to how he competed in the octagon. Silva made many top fighters look like amateurs with his unorthadox striking and his unpredictable movements.
'The Spider' is a former middleweight champion and during his title reign, he separated himself from the rest. He seemed unbeatable during his prime and it showed through his spectacular finishes. Not only was he dominant at middleweight, but he even made his fights at 205lbs look easy.
Silva earned a reputation for being one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the sport. He was also, and still is, in the discussion for being one of the greatest MMA fighters of all-time.
Although he fought most of the notable fighters from different generations, there were still opponents that he didn't face, who would have made for entertaining bouts. This list will look at five Anderson Silva fights that could've but didn't happen in the UFC.
#5 Anderson Silva vs. former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida
The UFC had plenty of opportunities to book Anderson Silva vs. Lyoto Machida. The former light heavyweight champion was unbeaten and brought a unique skillset to the octagon. He comes from a karate background, which made his striking and kicks a big threat to his opponents.
Like Silva, 'The Dragon' had unpredictable movements and was difficult to prepare for. He was capable of tricking his opponents who were more wrestling oriented into shooting for takedowns at the wrong time. This was on full display when Machida knocked out Hall of Famer Randy Couture with a front-kick to the face.
'Spider' vs. 'Dragon' could have been realistic at either 185lbs or 205lbs. They each split their time competing in two different weight-divisions, but a bout between them never came to fruition. It could have been a fun technical striking masterclass for fans.
#4 Anderson Silva vs. former UFC middleweight contender Gegard Mousasi
Despite never winning a UFC championship, Gegard Mousasi has always been a durable fighter and MMA legend. He's another fighter who was successful in multiple weight-divisions during his career.
'Spider' had success at welterweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight, while 'The Dreamcatcher' fought at a division as high as openweight.
The reigning Bellator middleweight champion has also never shied away from a challenge. He proved this earlier in his career as he fought at openweight and heavyweight against Gary Goodridge and Mark Hunt.
In addition to winning the Bellator middleweight championship, Mousasi is a former Cage Warriors middleweight champion, DREAM light heavyweight and middleweight champion, and Strikeforce light heavyweight champion.
'Spider' vs. 'The Dreamcatcher' would have been interesting. Mousasi is capable of taking Silva down, but Spider' has fought well off his back.
In terms of timeline, the fight would have made sense in 2016. They both fought at the same Fight Night event on February 27, 2016. Silva lost a unanimous decision to Michael Bisping, while Mousasi defeated Thales Leites via unanimous decision.
#3 Anderson Silva vs. former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson
Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson is a fighter that is definitely deserving of a Hall of Fame induction. The former light heavyweight champion was a very popular fighter during his prime, which was evident through his cross-promotional opportunities.
He portrayed the role of BA Baracus in 'The A-Team' and even had a brief stint in IMPACT Wrestling.
Silva vs. Jackson could have been a lucrative fight in 2011. 'Spider' came off a spectacular front-kick knockout win over Vitor Belfort and 'Rampage' defeated Matt Hamill via unanimous decision.
At the time, Silva was so dominant that many were questioning whether anybody could stop him in the octagon. Jackson, on the other hand, was always critical about competing against fighters with wrestling backgrounds.
Jackson's power and explosiveness could have made for a tough test for Silva, who had already defeated former champion Forrest Griffin. 'Spider' had the ability to exhaust his opponents, while 'Rampage' was known for having serious one-punch knockout power.
#2 Anderson Silva vs. former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones
Even though Anderson Silva fought at 205lbs on a few occasions, he never pursued a UFC light heavyweight title shot. When Silva was at his most dominant, Jon Jones began his ascension to superstardom.
In 2011, he defeated Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua to become the youngest light heavyweight champion in the promotion's history.
'Spider' could have possibly been more open to the idea if he retained his middleweight title against Chris Weidman in 2013. However, that didn't happen as Weidman pulled off an upset and won the rematch during which Silva infamously broke his leg.
Despite 'Spider' being against the idea of fighting Jones because he didn't want to take the opportunity away from his teammates, the right offer could have changed his mind.
#1 Anderson Silva vs. former UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre
For years, there was constant debate amongst fans as to which UFC champion was the top pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Along with Silva, former welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre was at the center of that debate.
He was the most dominant welterweight champion and like 'Spider', cleaned out his division and cemented a Hall of Fame career.
'Rush' might have posed a threat to Silva if they met in the octagon. St-Pierre had great wrestling and was explosive with his takedowns. Throughout his career, he did an excellent job in neutralizing his opponents' offense by tiring them out on the ground.
Later in fights, he usually took advantage of his clearly exhausted opponent and had success with his combinations.
'Spider', on the other hand, could have found an opening in the standup. There were moments, especially in his fight with Carlos Condit, where 'Rush' got caught with a head-kick and absorbed damage. Silva might have felt that was an area he could exploit the former welterweight champion had they met in the octagon.
