But that doesn't mean Silva is going to be cut if he looses.
There is speculation that statements made by Dana White, namely, that Silva needs to win fights to stay in order to stay in the UFC, means Silva will be cut if looses to Jardine in two weeks at UFC 84. While the concern is well placed given that a loss to Jardine would be Silva fourth conservative defeat, I seriously doubt the UFC would cut him at that juncture. Besides, is there anyone who gets to stay in the UFC if they keep losing? Yes, some get cut quicker than others for a variety of reasons, but no one is immune to the pink slip if they can't string enough wins together.
Yes, that would be two consecutive losses in the UFC and four overall. That's not the best place to be for any fighter, particularly one that could be and once was a massive star in the sport. But the UFC desperately wants to hold onto Silva and would likely ask him to drop a weight class in order for him to keep a place on the UFC talent roster. The light heavyweight division of the UFC is filled with monsters of tremendous physical size and while Silva is no pushover, he's also not able to physically intimidate and impose himself as he gets closer to the twilight of his career. Even if Silva is able to get past Jardine (and I don't think he will), the road doesn't get any easier after that.
Middleweight isn't a walk in the park, but it's where Silva stands the best chance of stringing a few wins together. Silva has almost always had a problem with larger fighters even when he tries to match their size, e.g. versus CroCop at the 2006 Open Weight Grand Prix. Silva doesn't have the reach or the ability to fight an outside game and when he tries to against larger opponents he pays for it. Jardine, who relies on kicks and his reach and power, is just the type of fighter to give Silva problems.
Lastly, if Silva were to be cut, he'd be a huge pick-up for a competitor. EliteXC would sign him in a flash and give him tailor made opponents that will stand in front of him and trade punches in the pocket. He'd be a huge asset for someone else who could pawn him off as a star on the rebound, not one who couldn't get it done in the UFC.
So, he's not going anywhere just yet. I would suspect he could lose two more times before the UFC seriously considers getting rid of him. The problem is even that isn't a far fetched scenario. I think it's ok if the UFC were to feed him just one winnable fight. Silva's last four fights were against CroCop at his peak, Dan Henderson near his peak, Chuck Liddell on the rebound and now Keith Jardine on a mission. Without question, It doesn't get a whole lot more difficult than that for anyone at any weightclass. Silva needs the time to recoup himself, gain back some swagger and resort to old form. That old form may not take him as far as it used to, but he's got the perfect style to win over the American fans and it'd be a shame to lose him because he was continually thrown to the wolves.
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