Anderson Silva Cancels 8-Fight Deal; Re-Ups for 15 More Bouts
Now, here comes a shocker in time for the Halloween. Remember that last Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman fight that ended with a gruesome snapshot of Silva's leg snapping in two? At that point, everyone thought that the Spider's career was done. Well, it seems that the Brazilian legend is far from done, beyond it, and is even looking at 15 more matches inside the Octagon.
Fifteen sounds like a huge number given his age and injury history, yet that is what the new contract of Silva looks like with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The former middleweight champion had eight remaining fights on his last deal which already includes the upcoming bout with Nick Diaz in January and by Tuesday, that deal was gone and in its place, a new 15-fight agreement. Silva said that he, UFC President Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta agreed to a new contract over dinner at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
"I had seven fights on my contract (after the Diaz fight). I met Lorenzo and Dana on Thursday and that contract was canceled. We signed for another 15 fights," Silva revealed per Combate. "To make Dana crazy, I signed for 15 more fights. And to make my family crazy, too."
This development will definitely come as a shocker to all the followers of the 39-year-old fighter. Given his age and the leg injury that sidelined him for more than a year, many are skeptical of the possibility of the Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter to last 15 more bouts. Silva broke both his tibia and fibula after unleashing a leg kick to Weidman's shin that backfired during their rematch in December 2013. The image of the said injury was so gruesome that many were even questioning if he could walk right again, but here is Silva again, ready to prove his detractors wrong in his upcoming match with Weidman on Jan. 31.
Apart from the new contract, Silva is also on the verge of a new endorsement deal with Adidas. The Spider was formerly tied to the Nike merchandise but the sports apparel chose the other route in the recent negotiations. Nevertheless, Silva thanked the sports apparel company for completing his dream of being the face of the outfit.