Silva-Liddell: rumor or done deal?

Being amongst the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world has many benefits including having your name mentioned for almost every super fight in the world. That's exactly where Ultimate Fighting Championship 185-pound titleholder Anderson Silva sits right now with top named opponents being mentioned as potential challengers every day.

One of those names is former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell, who has been mentioned in several published reports as the next opponent for Silva. While he's not opposed to taking the fight, Silva's manager Ed Soares tells MMAWeekly Radio that the fight hasn't been offered to them yet.

"Whoever the UFC wants to put in front of him. No one's mentioned anything about it. Joe Silva hasn't talked to me about Chuck Liddell," stated Soares. "And they have to see what's best for them. That would be a great fight though."

MMAWeekly.com has also heard rumblings from industry insiders that while Liddell is indeed in negotiations for his next fight, the bout that has been talked about does not include Silva's name attached to it. Nothing has been signed or cemented, so things could change if the UFC gets serious about putting the two together.

As for Silva, he is open to any and all challengers, and that includes any weight class.

"What do you think about Brock Lesnar and Anderson? Maybe that could be interesting," Soares said with a laugh.

A number of super fights could bog Silva down for his next few match-ups, but what about his middleweight title and possibly a chance to avenge an earlier disqualification loss to Yushin Okami, who is arguably the No. 1 contender in the division right now?

"Anderson doesn't really think that way," Soares commented about a possible rematch with Okami. "If that's who the UFC wants to put in front of him, then great, we'll fight him. He doesn't really pick his opponents, so whoever they put in front of him, he'll take."

All signs point to Anderson Silva stepping out of the 185-pound weight class for the time being as Soares was quoted as saying he may " venture off and do a couple fights at 205."

Whatever his next fight holds, Anderson Silva is in a unique position to be a part of some of the biggest bouts in UFC history in the very near future.