Dana White: Georges St-Pierre never wanted to fight Anderson Silva

For a time, a fight between Georges St-Pierre and Anderson Silva—the long-time welterweight and middleweight champs respectively—was arguably the most widely-desired fight among fans. Unfortunately, it never came together.

According to UFC President Dana White, that’s because GSP never actually wanted the fight.

White addressed this long anticipated super fight during a recent Instagram live broadcast.

Dana White on IG just now asked if Georges St-Pierre vs. Anderson Silva ever actually came close to happening in the UFC:

“Never. GSP did not want to fight Anderson Silva, ever.”

— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) May 6, 2020

“Never,” White said when asked about a fight between GSP and Silva (h/t Damon Martin). “GSP did not want to fight Anderson Silva, ever.”

GSP and Silva ruled over their respective divisions for years. Both men, of course, ultimately surrendered their titles — albeit under different circumstances.

After a razor-close win over Johny Hendricks, GSP announced his retirement, vacating the welterweight title in the process. Years later, he embarked on a one-fight comeback, challenging Michael Bisping for the middleweight belt once owned by Silva. The Canadian legend won this fight, becoming one of just a few fighters in UFC history to win titles in two divisions.

Anderson Silva, meanwhile, ultimately surrendered his middleweight title in a shocking, knockout loss to Chris Weidman. While he had the chance to reclaim his belt in an immediate rematch, that rematch ended with the Brazilian legend badly breaking his leg. Weidman went on to lose the title to Luke Rockhold, who lost it to Bisping, who in turn surrendered it to the returning GSP.

While Silva, who is currently recovering from surgery, is still actively competing, GSP seems to be happily retired, which means we’re unlikely to ever see these two legends collide.

What do you think of Dana White’s comments on a potential Anderson Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre fight?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 5/6/2020.