Former UFC champion Anderson Silva received bad news yesterday: his middleweight title shot not only depends on a victory at UFC 183, it requires the cooperation of an historically unpredictable Nick Diaz.
According to Dana White, if Anderson defeats Nick Diaz on January 31st, he will receive a title shot against either Chris Weidman or Vitor Belfort. The news was disheartening because his chance at a hypothetical victory depends not only on his own performance, but on things like Nick Diaz attending press events over the next few weeks, Diaz remaining sober on roadways, Diaz avoiding positive tests for marijuana, and Diaz sidestepping a crippling triathlon injury. The list goes on, and Silva’s hopes for a title shot are tempered accordingly.
As bad as things look for Anderson, bear in mind that his own leg folded horrifically at the shin during his injury loss against Weidman at UFC 168. So although Nick Diaz fights are statistically unlikely to materialize of late, Silva is due for a bit of good luck. It is his karmic inheritance: the rebalancing of an MMA universe that has never been quite fair to one of the greatest fighters of all time
