Anderson Silva is regarded by many as the greatest fighter of all time. And the fact that he’s still competing at the age of 44 only solidifies that for some.
Of course, “The Spider” has not had much success in the Octagon in recent years. He has only won once — a highly-debatable unanimous decision win against Derek Brunson — in his last eight fights. But the very fact that the majority of those outings have been competitive say something about the former middleweight king’s aura and ability.
One person amazed by Silva’s longevity is former UFC middleweight champion and current ONE Championship vice president Rich Franklin. Franklin notably lost his title to Silva and would lose their rematch as well.
And although he’s retired now, like Silva, he’s still in good shape. So when he was asked about his former foe by James Lynch of theScore, Franklin went a step further by stating he would love a trilogy fight.
“Are you asking if I keep an eye on him and maybe I want to dance with him one more time?” Franklin responded when asked if he kept tabs on Silva.
“Well, listen. I see him on social media here and there. I think he was just sworn in as a US citizen. Yeah, I keep up with Anderson. Tremendous amount of respect for that guy.
“I would love to dance with Anderson again. And I believe I could beat him. But that’s the kind of mentality you have to have as an athlete, right? … It’s amazing seeing somebody that at our age is still competing and trust me, on a realistic note, I think about it from time to time.
“It’s what you love to do. That’s why Anderson is still competing. Because it’s what he loves to do. I love competition, I love martial arts, I love training. So don’t think I don’t occasionally maybe get that bug.”
Given Franklin’s duties at ONE Championship, it would seem highly unlikely that a trilogy fight could happen, especially with Silva still contracted to the UFC.
But then again, this is a crazy sport.