Silva not resting on splendid resume

Anderson Silva has little left to accomplish in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and he knows it.

The Brazilian middleweight is the longest-reigning champion in UFC history and has a run of 10 consecutive successful title defenses and 16 straight victories since joining the organization in 2006.

“There’s really not much that can be said. What’s done is done. Nobody can erase the past, all the great fights and all the shows I’ve put on,” the 38-year-old Silva said through a translator.

“I want to be remembered as a great fighter and a showman for everything I’ve done, much like the other idols in the sport like Randy Couture, Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz and all those guys. They’ve left a legacy and that’s kind of the same thing I would like to leave.”

Mission accomplished. While those fighters laid the groundwork for the organization to reach its current heights, Silva has achieved far more inside the cage.

It would be almost impossible to turn a page in the UFC record book and not find his name.

There are the seven knockout-of-the-night bonuses, the 14 finishes in UFC fights, the 67.8 percent accuracy on significant strikes, and the 17 knockdowns. All records.

His highlight-reel finishes will live on as part of the company’s video packages.

In short, Silva’s legacy is secure.

That didn’t stop him from signing a 10-fight contract with the organization this year, and he intends to honor it. Silva will begin his new deal when he fights Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC 162 on July 6 at the MGM Grand Garden.

The matchup is seen as difficult for Silva because of Weidman’s athleticism and superior wrestling skills. Though the number has ticked up a bit, Silva opened as slightly more than a minus-200 favorite, the closest opening number for him since the Dan Henderson bout in 2008.

Silva doesn’t appear overly worried about his unbeaten opponent, but he says he hasn’t really been concerned about a fight since the first time he stepped in a cage on a small card in Brazil in 1997.

“I remember it well. My first MMA fight was my biggest challenge. Every other fight, win or lose, things happen. But my first fight was definitely my toughest,” he said. “It was about the nervousness and the lack of experience. Being that it was the first fight, it was a very nerve-racking moment.”

Silva won two fights that night and the rest is history. Weidman is just another in a string of fighters who want to take his belt.

“He’s got some wins, but I’m still the champion. There’s always going to be challengers coming up and wanting to take the belt. Chris Weidman is the guy right now that’s challenging me and that’s what happens,” he said. “Everyone’s going to come in with their own way of fighting and their strong points.”

When the matchup with Weidman was proposed last year, there was talk that Silva’s camp thought Weidman didn’t merit a title shot. Silva denies that came from him, but the rumors fueled speculation the champion was trying to avoid the matchup in favor of an opponent who would prefer to strike with Silva.

The Brazilian says he leaves those decisions fully in the hands of the UFC.

“If they want to put the guy selling the tickets or some guy on the corner, whoever they feel is ready to challenge me for the belt, that’s who I’m fighting,” he said.

The same goes for his stance on so-called superfights. With Silva holding the belt at 185 pounds between dominant 170-pound champion Georges St. Pierre and 205-pound champ Jon Jones, fan demand has intensified for the titleholders to fight each other.

Silva said he’s content right where he is, but wouldn’t rule out the possibility.

“I believe that each one deserves to be where they’re at. Jon Jones and Georges St. Pierre deserve to be champion and be where they are,” he said. “Superfights are something the UFC and a lot of fans have come up with, but it’s something I’m not going out and looking for. I’m not pretentious in that way. But if it’s something they want to see, I’m a UFC employee, so if they want it to happen it’s going to happen.”

If Silva gets through Weidman, there won’t be a whole lot of other options.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.