A fight that's been wanted for about three years or more. The best welterweight of all time vs. the best middleweight of all time (and both fighters have a case for GOAT). Recent rumours fired-up by DFW suggest they would fight at 180-lbs., roughly half-way between their weight classes (though GSP is 187-190lbs. on fight night and Silva is 10-15lbs. heavier). St-Pierre would give up four inches in height, and significant leg length, yet his reach disadvantage is less than two inches (77.6" to 76"). Recent fights suggest that Anderson Silva is susceptible to the all-action wrestling-heavy attack that GSP would employ, as Chael Sonnen did. It is debatable whether St-Pierre's wrestling is as good as Sonnen's, though St-Pierre is younger and much faster and more athletic (though perhaps weaker). Silva's ability to counter-strike is largely negated when his opponent pushes him immediately and obviously is negated when he's fighting from his back. St-Pierre hasn't shown weakness lately but has been finished by knockout and submission in the past. Silva is a master of both and is extremely difficult to wrangle. The connotations for the fight are massive. The winner would vault to the number one or number two MMA fighter of all time (depending on where you rank Fedor). It would break longstanding winning streaks for either fighter (16 for Silva, 9 for St-Pierre). Both would add the distinction of having defeated champions from three weight classes. If the fight is even half-decent, the odds of another big-money rematch are good. The UFC wants to do the show at Cowboy's Stadium in Dallas. Silva (vs. TBA) and St-Pierre (vs. Condit) would both have to be coming-off good performances to get the maximum juice behind the fight. For the first time, both fighters are talking about making it happen (in the past GSP has complained about having to vacate his title to move up and face Silva, something he wouldn't have to do at catchweight). The fight would delay the welterweight title picture significantly. St-Pierre hasn't defended since since April of 2011, and would need four to five months to prepare for Silva and a new weight if he is able to defeat Condit in November, meaning a fight with Silva in April of 2013 and another welterweight title defense in the summer of 2013. The middleweight title picture is wrecked with only one contender (Chris Weidman), a relative greenhorn that Silva isn't interested in fighting or trying to sell a fight with. Beyond Weidman there is little to entice Silva outside of another superfight, versus Jon Jones, something he has dismissed as unrealistic.
