Anderson Silva 'Has Never Turned Down a Fight' According to Manager Ed Soares

There has been a lot of speculation about who and what is next for Anderson Silva. Discussion has ranged from potential super fights with George St. Pierre and Jon Jones to bouts with Chris Weidman. After his incredible win over Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, the only thing that remains consistent is that fans, media, and UFC personnel cannot wait for the "Spider" to return to action. 

SiriusXM's Fight Club caught up with Silva's manager Ed Soares today to discuss a variety of topics. Soares commented on what is next for his client and if there are any potential match ups available currently at middleweight.

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"I mean, you know what? There's a lot of things going on. I mean as far as competitors. I think all of them, I look at Anderson's career and I just want Anderson being involved in the biggest fights possible. Unfortunately, in the middleweight division right now, it's kind of a little bit murky in that area because the guys who are out there earning their shots aren't very potentially big fights. There's just not a huge amount of fights right now. So I think we need the dust to settle a little bit, let Anderson let his body rest. He's not a young guy anymore, he's 37 years old and he wants to take some time between his fights. At the end of the day whoever the UFC puts in front of us, we've never turned down a fight. Not only Anderson but none of our fighters have ever turned down a fight. Whoever the UFC deems is best then we'll go ahead and take it. We'll cross that bridge when it comes."

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Emphasis mine. Soares isn't incorrect either. There really aren't a ton of options right now at middleweight for Anderson Silva. The most viable option is Chris Weidman, who has wins over Demian Maia and Mark Munoz. The issue is that Weidman is still relatively unknown to the general UFC audience which makes selling a pay per view incredibly difficult. 

The other options include Brian Stann, Tim Boetsch, and Michael Bisping. Again, those really aren't great possibilities as they either lack the big win or they just aren't all that marketable. Bisping, however, has gone on record saying he's been promised a title shot with a win over Stann at UFC 152.  

For Silva's camp, the big fight remains George St. Pierre. They will likely all be rooting for the Canadian fighter when he faces Carlos Condit. If he comes away victorious, expect for the super fight to finally become realized.

If that fight falls apart, it would at least give the UFC enough time to create another real and deserving contender. In the mean time, Anderson will continue to stay healthy and improve on the sidelines.