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Former UFC middleweight champion and arguably the greatest mixed martial arts fighter of all time Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva (33-6) has signed a 15-fight contract with the UFC.
Silva has been out of commission since last December following his rematch with Chris Weidman (12-0) at UFC 168, where the Spider suffered a broken leg in one of the most horrific injuries in the history of the UFC.
It was an injury that many thought would end one of the most iconic careers in MMA.
Much to the dismay of his family, Silva announced his desire to step back into the octagon, and agreed to a highly anticipated bout against Nick Diaz (26-9), which is scheduled to serve as the main event of UFC 183, on January 31 in Las Vegas.
Many were surprised to see the 39-year-old Brazilian decide to step back into the cage, and with a new 15-fight deal Silva could be a part of the UFC for the next decade or so depending on how often he competes.
Should Silva decide to retire before then, the UFC would allow him. The UFC has also been known to cut fighters on losing streaks before the end of their contracts, however they would be highly unlikely to cut such a high profile asset for their organisation.
Silva has not ruled out a third fight with Chris Weidman, who is scheduled to fight Vitor ‘The Phenom’ Belfort (24-10) in February next year.
The Spider’s upcoming fight against Diaz will show whether or not he still has the skill set to compete against world class competition.
Diaz will be moving up to 185 pounds for the middleweight bout, and has the biggest fight of the life ahead of him.
Although there is much cynicism regarding the Spider’s return, there is no doubt that UFC 183 has the potential to be one of the most watched events in the history of the organisation.
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