Anderson Silva recognizes Georges St. Pierre as a fellow all-time great, but he does not hesitate to point out what he feels is the major difference between them.
Silva returns to the Octagon next February at UFC 234 against the surging Israel Adesanya in what could determine the No. 1 contender to fight the winner of Robert Whittaker’s title defense against Kelvin Gastelum, which takes place on the same card.
Silva was interviewed on Wednesday by ESPN.com and said that during negotiations for his return to the Octagon, two former champions entered the discussion in Conor McGregor and Georges St. Pierre. According to Silva, a McGregor a bout may materialize in the future despite the size disparity between them.
“At first, I talked to Dana about a fight with McGregor, because McGregor challenged me,” Silva said. “Maybe that will be my second fight after this layoff. We’ll see.
While a McGregor versus Silva fight seems like a good chance of happening, the same couldn’t be said for St. Pierre.
“That’s an interesting fight, but Georges has never come to accept the challenge,” Silva said. “Georges just runs, runs, runs. It’s crazy. I do not think Georges wants the fight, but that’s OK. I respect Georges. He is a great fighter. Maybe he just has a different view — to take easy fights. That’s not me. I like to take the big challenges in my life.
“Georges is very lucky and very smart,” he added. “He never goes to take a fight if it’s not easy. That’s the point. Georges, for me, is a great fighter, but he never takes the real challenges in life. That’s my opinion. I respect him, but that’s my opinion.”
Silva has been absent from fighting after serving a one-year suspension by USADA for taking a contaminated supplement. “The Spider” hasn’t competed inside the Octagon since his unanimous decision victory over Derek Brunson at UFC 208 in February 2017 with the win breaking a five-fight winless streak which includes a no-contest result in his fight against Nick Diaz after he tested positive for anabolic agents as well as anti-anxiety drugs.