While MMA fans were disappointed to hear that Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4 coaches Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Anderson "The Spider" Silva won't face off at the end of the season, the possibility of the fight still exists.
Rua recently said the only reason he hasn't fought Silva yet is that he has yet to be asked to do so, adding that the thought of a fight with the Spider has never crossed his mind, according to MMAjunkie.
"He's a guy that I started out training with, and the UFC didn't consider it, so I didn't think about it," he explained through an interpreter.
The light heavyweight added that he would like to square off against Silva if it made sense to the fans and UFC officials, MMAjunkie reported.
"I never said I wouldn't fight him," he said. "It's something I'm not looking forward to. I'm not making an effort. But if the UFC suggested that, then I would."
Shogun currently holds a 22-9 record in MMA, with six wins and seven loses in the UFC, while Silva holds a 33-6 MMA record, having won 16 fights and lost two in the UFC. Both fighters used to be members of the Chute Boxe Academy, where Wanderlei Silva and many other fighters have also trained.
Before Rua and Silva can focus on fighting each other, they have to worry about other opponents, as Rua is scheduled to fight Ovince Saint Preux at UFC Fight Night 56 on Saturday in Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil, and Silva will take on Nick Diaz at UFC 183 on Jan. 31 in Las Vegas.
Rua added that he is willing to take on Silva if the fight will be held in the 205-pound division, MMA Fighting reported. He added that Silva being an idol in Brazil will bring a lot of attention to TUF.
"I'm really happy to be coaching TUF with Anderson," Shogun said. "He's an icon of the sport. It's a dream come true for me."
