Dana White: Wanderlei Silva Won't Get Immediate Title Shot by Beating Rich Franklin at UFC 99

Michael David Smith reports:

"They're all in the mix," White said. "Should Wanderlei win tomorrow, I actually think that Bisping would be next in line, should he beat Dan Henderson. Then maybe you have Wanderlei fight Marquardt. Who knows? But we have all those different scenarios that could happen. It's exciting. It's good for the 185-pound division."ts interesting to note that Dan Henderson and Demian Maia don't figure into White's scenario for the 185lb belt. Which is interesting since I think both men have excellent chances of winning their next fight. Presumably Henderson isn't attractive since he's already lo

The UFC definitely hopes to promote a middleweight title fight between Wanderlei Silva and Anderson Silva. But UFC President Dana White said in Germany on Friday that even if Wanderlei beats Rich Franklin at UFC 99, he wouldn't move ahead of Michael Bisping in the middleweight pecking order.

Asked about several of the top middleweights, White said that he thinks Michael Bisping would earn the next title shot if he beats Dan Henderson at UFC 100. White added that Wanderlei would then likely fight Nate Marquardt -- if Marquardt beats Demian Maia at UFC 102.

Its interesting to note that Dan Henderson and Demian Maia aren't mentioned in any of Dana's title shot scenarios. Presumably this is because Henderson has already lost to Anderson Silva and Demian Maia has an unfortunate stylistic resemblance to Thales Leites who stunk up the joint in his title shot.

But Dana might be whistling past the graveyard here as there is an excellent chance that Henderson beats Bisping and Maia submits Marquardt. What then? MDS speculates in the article linked above that Wanderlei would then get the title shot. I'd have to hope that Henderson and Maia would get each other, or Okami for a title elimination match.