Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
Ray Longo had an interesting perspective on Anderson Silva’s revelation that he nearly retired from mixed martial arts in 2012.
In a video interview on the UFC’s Brazilian website, “The Spider” said that he met with promotion brass to inform them that he was considering calling it a career. In response, UFC president Dana White and then owner Lorenzo Fertitta gave Silva a Bentley GT Continental, which the fighter felt was an attempt to “buy him off.” Nonetheless, Silva proceeded with his career and lost his middleweight crown to Chris Weidman at UFC 162 in July 2013.
Longo, who is one of Weidman’s longtime coaches, had a humorous response to Silva’s story on the MMA & Beyond podcast.
“I mean, so basically what he’s saying is he’s a f—-ing whore,” Longo said. “Is that the moral of the story? And then for the rematch they gave him gift certificate to McDonald’s. They let him have a shopping spree at Target for the rematch. They bought him out. ‘Listen, I know you don’t wanna do this, but here’s a gift card to Starbucks.’ I don’t even understand, what does that mean?
“Imagine that, though, when Dana and Lorenzo offered the Bentley and he took it, and then Lorenzo goes to Dana, ’S—t, we could’ve gotten him with a Chevy. We could’ve gotten him with a f—ing SUV, a Honda SUV. Why the f—k we go with a Bentley, you f—-ing morons?’ The hell is going on?
Silva would go on to lose to Weidman again in a rematch at UFC 168. The Brazilian legend continued to compete beyond those fights but has been victorious just once in eight UFC appearances dating back to the first meeting with Weidman. “The Spider” has not yet officially announced his retirement from the sport.