Nick Diaz has told 'UFC Tonight' that he would like to comeback for a fight against Anderson Silva next year if the money is right. With Anderson Silva's return to the UFC marching forward steadily, his leg healing up nicely and training intensifying, talk has shifted from if and when he will return (the current outlook is early 2015, though Dana White would no doubt love to have him as part of the UFC's annual year-end show) to who he will face upon his return. Earlier this week, Silva's long-time manager Ed Soares threw a couple of names into the hat while speaking with Ariel Helwani on the MMA hour: Cung Le, Michael Bisping, and Nick Diaz. Le and Bisping have a date booked, facing off against one another this August in China in what will be Le's first fight in the octagon since his highlight-reel knockout of Rich Franklin in November 2012. And while either combatant would make a solid tune-up fight for the Spider's return, it's the always controversial, but entertaining, Diaz that has fans salivating. For his part, Diaz appears to be in agreement: UFC Tonight has teased on their twitter that Diaz is open to the fight, and the show has reported that the Stockton native would take the match if the money was right, something that would thrill both fans and the company itself - should they be able to reach an agreement with the fighter. Silva-Diaz, after all, is practically a superfight, or at least would have been a year or two ago. At the very least, it's a fight that will draw and could easily headline a Pay-Per-View. Of course, Diaz hasn't fought since a five-round loss to Georges St. Pierre in March of 2013, and his most recent public comments about fighting have been of the "show me the money" variety. Now, it seems a fight with Anderson Silva might very well get bring him the pay day he's looking for.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
