Silva vs. Bonnar: 5 Fights for Anderson Silva to Take Next

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Anderson Silva made quick work of Stephan Bonnar Saturday night at UFC 153 in what was yet another classic performance from the greatest fighter on the planet.

The impressive victory leaves Silva's future somewhat in the air.

With two fights left on his UFC contract, as well as making it perfectly clear that he never wants to fight at light heavyweight again, who's left for Silva?

Here are five fights the middleweight champion can take to close out his legendary career.

Chris Weidman

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Anderson Silva has been adamant about not wanting to fight Chris Weidman.

The fact of the matter is that Weidman is still fairly young in the UFC, and an opportunity to fight for the middleweight title would be somewhat disrespectful to Silva's overall work inside the Octagon over the years.

With that said, Silva isn't the one making all the decisions.  The UFC is.

The bottom line is that the UFC would love to see this fight.  Weidman is stylistically a great candidate to potentially dethrone Silva, and he would be given a shot to take the torch from the best fighter ever before he exits the sport for good.

Michael Bisping

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It's been nearly six years in the making, but Michael Bisping may finally be getting an opportunity to fight for a UFC title.

Following impressive performances against Brian Stann and Chael Sonnen in 2012, it seems as if Bisping has yet again done enough for a shot at Anderson Silva.

The UFC just has to make the call.

For Silva, a fighter who would absolutely marvel in the chance to pick apart a fast-talking boxer, fighting Bisping would surely have its rewards.

Bisping has the biggest name out of any middleweight contender in the UFC today, and if the promotion decides to finally give its English fans a ridiculous pay-per-view card, this bout could be happening overseas.

Tim Boetsch

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If Tim Boetsch can finish Chris Weidman in fashion at UFC 155, then his chances of fighting Anderson Silva for the middleweight championship skyrocket.

Weidman is already widely considered the true No. 1 contender in the division, but if Boetsch ends that hype in one swift punch, then he'd surely deserve his own title shot, right?

Right.

The fact of the matter is that Boetsch has been undefeated since making his divisional debut back in 2011, including an unlikely unanimous decision over the highly touted Hector Lombard at UFC 149.

"The Barbarian" may not have the global recognition of Michael Bisping, or the foundation of skills that Weidman does, but his hard-nosed approach at slinging bombs and grinding opponents down would most definitely give Silva problems.

Georges St-Pierre

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It's becoming clearer by the day that this puppy is actually going to happen.

Anderson Silva has already hinted towards setting his focus on Georges St-Pierre for his next fight, but there's one major problem.

Carlos Condit just so happens to stand in the way.

If Condit can takeout GSP in their upcoming welterweight championship fight at UFC 154, will it take away from the appeal of this historic superfight?

It could, but the names alone would make up for any lost potential if GSP happens to lose his comeback fight later this year.

With all of that said, GSP has yet to weigh in on the matter.  As a smaller fighter who competes within a stacked division primed with top contenders, the Canadian may not deem it important to test his chin against the greatest fighter on the planet.

Jon Jones

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A potential matchup between Anderson Silva and Jon Jones makes any UFC fan smile for days.

The two fighters are easily the most dominate athletes in the sport today, and with 14 straight title defenses between them, this superfight would surely have historic implications.

It would finally settle the dispute as to whether or not Jones is the fighter everybody thinks he is.  It would finally test his chin, perseverance and ability to strike with someone just as elusive and unorthodox.

As for Silva, who has pleaded to Dana White not to push the idea of this fight, fighting Jones could be his going-out party.

It would be the biggest fight in UFC history and would easily surpass every pay-per-view record in existence.

Silva has said that fighting has never been about the money, but to make a boat load of cash and go out on top after defeating the No. 2 fighter in the world would be a storybook ending to a perfect career.

 

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