Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz both interested in potential super fight
Anderson Silva's miraculous comeback from a broken leg has been charted from the moment he left the Octagon in December 2013 until now, but as the time has passed a return date for the former middleweight king got closer and closer.
All signs are pointing towards Silva making his way back to the Octagon in early 2015, and the Brazilian even has an opponent in mind.
According to Silva's manager Ed Soares, they are interested in a potential fight against UFC bad boy Nick Diaz, who has stated in the past that he would revel in landing a bout against the former pound-for-pound best in the sport.
Now to add fuel to this potential inferno is Diaz confirming to UFC Tonight on Wednesday that he would also be very interested in a fight against Silva, and it could be just the matchup to pull him out of retirement. Diaz hasn't fought since March 2013 when he lost a decision to Georges St-Pierre and then decided to call it a career.
The UFC has asked Diaz to return on several occasions, but each time they've been met with the same response that he is retired.
It seems a fight against Silva could be just the lure Diaz needs to return, but there is one small caveat to the potential bout coming together. Diaz wants to get paid if he's coming back to fight Silva, and his last asking price was around a half a million dollars. Whether that figure would change for the chance to face Silva in what would likely be a major pay-per-view draw is unknown.
The real key to this whole scenario is that Diaz is on board because this is a fight he's wanted for some time and believes it could be one of the biggest matchups in MMA history. Silva's side seems to agree, so now it appears to just be a matter of getting the UFC to want this fight to happen.
A likely landing spot for the fight -- if Silva vs Diaz were to actually get matched up -- would be the Super Bowl pay-per-view in early 2015. The card taking place the same weekend as the NFL's biggest game has always been a major draw each year, and what better way for Silva and Diaz to return than in that kind of showcase?
Everything is still a pipe dream for now, but at least Silva and Diaz both appear ready to approach the reality of making this fight happen.
