The UFC’s greatest champion has signed on the dotted line, only this time for the long haul.
Silva, who has been hinting at wanting to retire the past year or so changed face, signing a ten fight contract with the promotion. One could only imagine the terms of the deal, but they are bound to be the most lucrative of any fighter in the history of the sport.
Money is seemingly easy for Silva to come by these days. Signing major endorsement deals with companies such as Nike, Silva has likely added the potential to become the wealthiest fighter in MMA history. Granted the numbers show him earning in the six figures, as reported by the athletic commission, Silva is also guaranteed a share of PPV earnings. His drawing power is such that even a small share would net him in the millions every time he fights.
Silva has never lost a fight in the UFC. His last defeat came by DQ to Yushin Okami, a fight he avenged with little pushback later in his career. According to his manager, Ed Soares, Silva has become one of the most recognizable figures in Brazil, sharing the recognition to that of some of the county’s most highly touted soccer players.
According to a report this weekend, Silva also stated that he would like to defend his title against Bisping next, with superfights in the future against both Georges St. Pierre and Jon Jones. A complete 180 from his previous stance, Silva has likely realized the money to be made in these fights. Jones moving to heavyweight could make that fight a bit more difficult to book, however, anything seems possible anymore.
This entry was posted on Sunday, December 30th, 2012 at 3:11 pm and is filed under UFC. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.