MMA Junkie reports:
MMAjunkie.com has learned from sources close to the organization that a planned bout between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort will not take place on Feb. 6.
Silva's has bone chips removed from his right elbow in October, and the joint has reportedly proved slow to heal.
Sources close to the situation informed MMAjunkie.com that "The Spider" might not be ready to fight until April, though Silva's manager, Ed Soares, wasn't immediately available for comment.... MMAjunkie.com was unable to establish whether the UFC would seek to find a new opponent for Belfort or if "The Phenom" will ride out the new delay for his shot at the UFC's middleweight title.
We've written repeatedly about Anderson Silva and his manager Ed Soares' recent habit of being available for big money fights and seemingly avoiding less lucrative bouts. Brent Brookhouse made the most damning case:
Silva and Soares were quick to jump out and start claiming that Vitor was not worthy of a title shot and that the true challenger should still be the winner of the fantasy Marquardt vs. Hendo match-up. Not only do they not feel that Belfort earned a shot at the belt, but the previously "200% healthy" Silva DID end up having elbow surgery and now that was turning into a possible factor that would prevent the fight from happening. In talking down Belfort they are also breaking one of the golden rules of fight promotion by making it look like the challenger didn't earn his shot. It works for a guy like Lesnar because that is a part of his mystique, but it can significantly damage a fight's drawing power when the challenger is framed as not being deserving and probably being third or fourth in line for the shot to begin with.
So now we went from a division brimming with potentially huge fights and legitimate challengers to Silva/Belfort which may not happen because of the elbow which seems to always be hurt when Anderson doesn't like the fight he has been offered, Dan Henderson seemingly out of the UFC, and Nate Marquardt in limbo.
And here we are again, with Silva claiming his elbow isn't recovering quickly enough to allow him to fight at UFC 109. I expect that if Brock Lesnar or some other mega-PPV draw were on the card, that Silva would be experiencing a miraculous recovery.
As big a fan as I am of Anderson Silva's incredible fighting talents and creativity as a martial artist, I'm no fan of his behavior at the negotiating table and this is one fighter who makes me root for Dana White to put the boot down as soon as the tables turn and Anderson needs the UFC more than they need him.
It does create an opportunity for the UFC to give Vitor Belfort one fight at 185lbs so that he can make a stronger case for deserving the title shot. Of course if they were interested in fighters deserving title shots rather than being marketable draws on a PPV headliner, they'd have booked Nate Marquardt's for a rematch with Anderson Silva by now anyhow.