UFC News: Latest on Amanda Nunes, Anderson Silva and July 15 Fight Island Card

Throughout their UFC careers, Amanda Nunes and Anderson Silva have built cases for "greatest of all time" consideration. Now, they're both figuring out what the end of those careers might look like. 

As the UFC looks ahead at what's next before a busy month in July, both Brazilian Hall of Famers have made headlines concerning their future.

For Silva, it isn't shocking that we might be looking at the end of a career. The days of "The Spider" striking fear into the hearts of challengers are long gone. 

However, the fact that we could be looking at the end of the road for The Lioness is a different matter entirely. Nunes is coming off a lopsided defense of her featherweight crown at UFC 250 and is at the top of her game. 

In other news, the UFC continues to materialize cards out of thin air. The July 15 card, which will be the second to take place on "Fight Island" in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, has a main event. 

Nunes Considering Retirement

Motivation is a key ingredient to sustained success in MMA. But how does one stay motivated when you have accomplished everything there is to accomplish in the sport?

At this point, that's a question Nunes is going to need to answer. She's a two-division champion who has defeated every big name women's MMA has to offer. From Ronda Rousey to Cris Cyborg to Valentina Shevchenko, she's beat all of them and more. 

At UFC 250, the 32-year-old became the first to successfully defend the belt at two different weight classes. Now, she seems to be feeling content to potentially walk away from the sport. 

"I'm in a moment that I can retire, you know, and I'm in a moment that I can fight. I'm fine," the champ told Brazilian TV show Esporte Espetacular (h/t MMA Fighting). "There's nothing else to be done right now in the division. The Hall of Fame will come, for sure. My life going forward, if I do stop now, the UFC will give me every support I need to continue having my money and work."

Nunes' unprecedented success in her two divisions has created an unprecedented problem: She's cleaned out two weight classes. Outside of a third fight with Shevchenko, the only opponents left for her are rising contenders who really haven't done enough for a title shot or pose new questions in the cage. 

Her striking has already proved superior to all of her opponents, and her wrestling has become an even bigger problem for others in her last two fights.

If Nunes does decide to hang them up, it will leave a void on the women's side of the sport. With Cyborg off to Bellator, Rousey, Miesha Tate long gone and Holly Holm not too far behind them, the first wave of UFC stars in women's MMA is over.

White Not Sure What to do with Silva

While Nunes' retirement would be surprising and leave a hole in the MMA landscape, Silva's retirement is overdue. 

The veteran was once the best fighter on the planet and one of the biggest draws in the organization. At 45, he's gone the way of many legends who hang on long after their prime is over. Which can make booking him a difficult proposition. 

UFC President Dana White expressed that sentiment in a recent ESPN interview (h/t MMA Junkie):

"I honestly don't know what to do with his last two fights. When Anderson's really ready to fight, we'll sit down and look at it, and we'll figure out what we thinks makes sense for him next. There's a lot of things that goes into the decision-making process with an Anderson Silva. His age, what he gets paid—all that stuff's important."

Silva has made news recently by mentioning a potential fight with Conor McGregor and Anthony Pettis but a bout with Notorious makes little sense as the Irishman is still squarely in the title picture at lightweight should he choose to return to the Octagon, and White said he was "not crazy" about a fight with Pettis. 

The problem for the UFC is that Silva's skills no longer warrant the headlining fights or big paychecks that come with them. Putting him on a card means giving him the marquee, and at this point, it's harder to come up with fights that make sense. 

Silva has one win since 2012. He is 1-6 with one no-contest in his last eight bouts. Still, he has two fights left on his contract so as long as he wants to continue fighting they will likely find a matchup for him, but it doesn't seem like fans should hold their breath on a McGregor superfight or even a showdown with Pettis. 

Kattar vs. Ige Headlines July 15 Card on Fight Island

The announcement of Fight Island itself may have been a letdown, but the matchups being announced for the venue are not. The July 15 card will feature an important featherweight contest between Calvin Kattar and Dan Ige, per Brett Okamoto of ESPN. 

The Fight Night card will be the second event featured at the venue in July, with Kattar and Ige squaring off just days after UFC 251 which features a championship triple-header. 

Kattar and Ige are ranked sixth and 11th, respectively, in the division. Kattar is coming off an impressive TKO win over Jeremy Stephens to go with wins over Ricardo Lamas, Shane Burgos and Andre Fili. He is 5-2 in the UFC and continues to show improvement every time out. 

Ige turned in a questionable performance in his last fight, winning a hotly contested decision against Edson Barboza, which extended a six-fight winning streak that includes another split decision over Mirsad Bektic. 

The winner should lay claim to a top-five opponent in their next bout and catapult themselves into title contention with a win in that fight.