Mixed martial arts fans can be difficult to satisfy. They can be brutal in their assessment of a fighter's abilities and they demand accountability from all involved in the sport.
That extends to matchmaking, where Joe Silva, the UFC employee with that responsibility, is constantly under the gun, faced with criticism for the fights he so eloquently puts together on such a consistent basis.
And as such, in the wake of Jon Jones' absolute mauling of Mauricio Rua to win the light heavyweight title at UFC 128, the question already being raised is this: should the UFC forgo an Anderson Silva vs. Georges St. Pierre superfight in favor of Silva vs. Jones?
It's not surprising the question is being asked. What does come as a bit of a shock is where the query originated -- the owner of the UFC himself, Lorenzo Fertitta, who, perhaps caught up in the emotion of the new 205-pound champion's stunning victory, took to Twitter to ask his near 30,000 followers if they would be interested:
"Bones vs. Silva? Who wants it?"Is this a good idea or a great idea? Actually, it's the best idea and there are many reasons why.
Anderson Silva is quite possibly the best fighter on planet Earth. He's been tested a total of 13 times inside the Octagon, flawlessly navigating his way through 11 fights at middleweight and two sojourns up to the 205-pound division.
At one point, he was allegedly strongly considering a permanent move up to the land of the light heavyweights, as he has all but completely blown through every potential challenge at 185-pounds.
The major factor to consider when thinking of any potential fight involving "The Spider," at least at this point, is his age. Although his performances do not reflect it, he's getting older and what little time he has left as a professional fighter can not be wasted.
That's partially why the once quiet murmurs for the middleweight champion to fight Georges St. Pierre have grown into screams.
"Rush" vs. Silva would represent a true superfight, and would finally present a more than worthy opponent for the Brazilian knockout king, one that seemingly has the tools to finally defeat him.
The problem is, GSP is smaller than Anderson. And not just slightly; the size advantage on fight night would be significantly in favor of Silva. As much as it would serve our purposes to discount that fact, it simply cannot be ignored. It's the elephant in the room when any discussion about this fight arises.
Which, finally, brings us back to Jon Jones. The man who decimated "Shogun" Rua to win the light heavyweight title, the beast that destroyed poor Brandon Vera's face, the monster that brutalized Matt Hamill.
The future of the sport. He who represents the beginning of a new era.
What better way to truly drive that home than to pit him against one of, if not thee, pound-for-pound best fighters in the world?
In pondering this bout, there are no solid arguments against it occurring. Competitiveness? Better than any fight either of the two have had to date. The size difference? Negligible. Box office? Potential record breaker.
As stated previously, Silva is an aging superstar. All the more reason to forgo waiting around for Jones to build his profile, which is currently as high as it could possibly be.
Why wait for Silva's skills to erode even further, for his speed to slip away from him, for his chin to soften up? There is no better time than the present and there is no better fight to be made.
Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones would represent the biggest, most competitive mega-fight in the history of MMA. There isn't any time to waste. Forget Georges St. Pierre and forget Rashad Evans.
Make this happen, Joe Silva.
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