Anderson Silva praises Conor McGregor, addresses potential fight

UFC legend Anderson Silva has lately hinted that he's likely to retire from active MMA competition after his upcoming fight against Uriah Hall.

As we'd previously reported, UFC President Dana White has confirmed the fact that Silva will indeed retire from the sport of MMA after his upcoming bout.

Anderson Silva interested in potential fight against Conor McGregor

In an interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Anderson Silva stated:

“Everybody fights with Conor [McGregor] and don't realize Conor is the best one in this sport."

Silva explained that a fight with Conor McGregor would be an interesting clash between two strikers. The Spider added that McGregor would be a good challenge for him.

Silva also said that he's trained every single martial arts technique his entire life. He praised McGregor, referring to the latter as very athletic, very technical, and a good striker.

The Brazilian striking savant indicated that the fighters who face McGregor and try to do something better than him, more often than not, end up failing. Silva emphasized that it's because McGregor is "so smart", and McGregor has different timing for everyone inside the cage, particularly against strikers.

Furthermore, Silva highlighted that McGregor's fight with Khabib was different, adding that the latter is a beast.

The Spider reiterated, however, that when one talks about strikers, a fight between him (Silva) and McGregor is a good fight for the fans.

"Everybody fights with Conor [McGregor] and don't realize Conor is the best one in this sport."@SpiderAnderson explains his excitement about the potential challenge of fighting McGregor, praising his technique and intelligence 🎯🧠 (via @bokamotoESPN) pic.twitter.com/PokGBeLz9B

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) August 26, 2020

Anderson Silva to face Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night 182

In the aftermath of consecutive losses in a pair of UFC Middleweight Title fights against Chris Weidman back in 2013, Anderson Silva experienced what's considered by many as the toughest phase of his MMA career.

Silva's lone win since his aforementioned losses was a controversial unanimous decision win against Derek Brunson in 2017 – a victory that certain sections of the combat sports community believed should've been awarded to Brunson.

Presently, Anderson Silva is scheduled to face Uriah Hall in the headlining bout of UFC Fight Night 182 on October 31st, 2020.

The vast majority of MMA fans and pundits expect the upcoming Silva vs. Hall matchup to be an entertaining striking-heavy affair, given both fighters' tendency to fight on the feet rather than grappling.

Who do you think will walk away victorious at UFC Fight Night 182 – Anderson Silva or Uriah Hall? Sound off in the comments section below!