Silva - Okami OFFICIAL!

After being reported here yesterday, today manager of Anderson Silva Ed Soares told TAGG Radio Okami is next in line for the UFC middleweight champion Silva. Soares also said the fight date had not been scheduled or planned yet, and wouldn't be until after the fight with Irvin. All indications from what I was told is as long as Silva makes it through the Irvin fight without injury or major damage, the fight would take place at UFC 88 in Atlanta on September 6th (a little over a month and a half after the July 19th Irvin fight). Also, the Patrick Cote fight this past weekend was still considered a #1 contender shot, he just won't be first in line for Silva. Apperently, Cote will be next in line after Okami for the title shot. Also confirmed on TAGG radio today by Soares was that Silva has no immediate plans to take a shot at the Light Heavyweight UFC title because his training partner and close friend, Lyoto Machida, is in the title picture and Machida and Silva both do not want to fight each other.

Interestingly enough I think a Machida-Silva match would be great. How good is Silva's striking against a 100% defensive first fighter. Could he get in their with his kicks and punches? No one has yet and I feel Machida shouldn't have much trouble with future opponents if he can repeat his Sokodjou preformance against strong punchers in the division. IE: Liddell, Jackson, W. Silva. As for Anderson Silva, not much more is to do at 185lbs, it reminds me of Roy Jones dominance of a division where no matter how good a person was, he made them look foolish. If Silva destroys Okami (Okami holds a victory over Silva by DQ for an illegal kick to the head when Okami was on the ground), and than beats Cote as well, the only thing that makes sense is either going to 205 lbs or hoping a big name drops to 185 like Shogun or W. Silva or a big name raises up from 170 like St. Pierre or Alves. Either way, Silva will be considered the best p4p in the business if he continues to run through competition like he has been. Another interesting possiblilty would be if Paulo Filho came from the WEC to the UFC which has been rumoured recently. However, Filho needs to beat his own demons before that can be considered as he recently postponed a title defense in March to check himself into a rehab clinic in Brazil for substance abuse. Hopefully, the undefeated fighter can rebound quickly, put his past behind him and prepare for a possible super-fight with Silva.

Stay tuned for more MMA info as it comes available and remember to keep sendind comments and questions for the weekly mailbag that will start soon!