(Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)
The "Championship Clause."
For most fighters, the UFC's "championship clause" is something they can only dream of being obligated to. For others, it becomes a stigma when they realize it holds them back from doing other things.
The "Championship Clause" as it is commonly known is a clause in the UFC fighter contracts that legally binds that fighter to the company for as long as he is the champion.
What happens when a fighter becomes champion but keeps winning? What happens when that fighter becomes bored and wishes to do other things, but can't because no one can threaten his title reign, leaving him legally bound to the company?
I think we're finding out.
Anderson Silva has openly stated that once he is contractually able, he would like to fight Roy Jones Jr. in a boxing match. Dana White won't allow the fight to take place while Silva is under contract with the UFC which, some will disagree, is a good business decision on White's part.
Should Silva lose that bout, it would undo everything the UFC has done up to this point to tag Silva as the world's pound-for-pound best mixed martial arts fighter and would not only discredit the UFC's talent pool, but also mixed martial arts as a whole. If Silva were to win, which at this point, I believe he would, he really wouldn't gain much, if anything, since he would be fighting an aging, out-of-his-prime fighter.
So Silva is stuck with the UFC and unable to chase other dreams while he remains a champion of the company.
Being contractually able would mean that Silva would have to lose his title and then fight the remaining fights on that contract without becoming champion again. But Silva losing that title isn't something that will come any time soon.
He knows it.
Silva's last two fights at middleweight carried the following message, "I'm bored, move me up a weight class."
For fear of having a repeat of Silva's lackluster performances at middleweight, the UFC decided to challenge Silva in a new weight class.
The result—two spectacular one round knockouts; the most recent against former UFC light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin.
After his performance against Griffin, Silva and manager Ed Soares met with Dana White in the hallway and asked to move to light heavyweight permanently and vacate the middleweight title.
Dana is seriously considering this possibility.
There are many great fights and big challenges for Silva at 205 lbs. The fans will surely be the winners in all of this as we will be treated to some of the greatest fights in the history of the sport.
The trouble with this is that Silva refuses to fight Lyoto Machida for the title because Machida is a friend, and let's face it—Machida isn't losing that title any time soon.
So Silva gives up his title and doesn't fight for one in his new weight class.
'Championship Clause' is effectively eliminated from the equation.
Silva has mentioned in previous interviews that he wanted to fight the remaining bouts on his contract and retire to spend time with his family. Retirement would be fine with Dana White if that's truly what Silva wanted, but Silva would retire as a champion. After retirement he still wouldn't be able to fight elsewhere.
A bout with Roy Jones Jr. would never be a possibility.
Is Silva strategically planning his exit from the UFC and slowly working his way towards retirement and a future bout with Jones Jr.?
The second that the UFC agrees to allow Silva to relinquish his middleweight title, Silva becomes in charge of his future.
It is possible that this is something he's been planning since his first move to light heavyweight.
Silva has been a patient, methodical fighter inside the Octagon, and maybe now he's showing it outside as well.
As much as I am excited to see what fights are in store for Silva at light heavyweight, I have a feeling that Silva has found his way out.
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