With Anderson “the Spider” Silva scheduled to fight Chael Sonnen at UFC 117 in Oakland, California, UFC President, Dana White, has begun the preliminary process of mapping out the middleweight champion’s future.

“In my opinion, [Anderson's] got Chael, who’s earned that title shot, and he’s got Vitor Belfort. Once he fights those two guys, he’s cleaned out that division, and I will press very hard for him to move to 205 pounds.”

Some MMA fans have been resistant to the idea of Sonnen and Belfort fighting for the title. Sonnen has been regarded as a boring, plodding wrestler while Belfort has yet to have a single fight in the Octagon at 185 pounds. White disregards the criticisms and believes that the two competitors are the last men standing in Silva’s way.

“Vitor is a worthy opponent that I think people will want to see. He’s a former champion at 205 pounds. He’s a legend in the sport. I’ve had my issues with Vitor in the past, too, but to say that Vitor isn’t a top contender at 185 is crazy. I’m just saying, in my opinion, [Anderson's] got two more fights at 185.”

Should Silva defeat both Sonnen and Belfort, the champ will likely move up to the light heavyweight division. “The Spider” has flirted with the idea in the past, having fought James Irvin at Fight Night 14 and Forrest Griffin at UFC 101. Before Silva can make the transition, White insists that the champ will have to first relinquish his belt.

“I believe that when you make a move like that, for me, it’s always all about legacy. It’s never about money or any of that [expletive], so you have to clean out the division.What he wants to do I think is keep his 185-pound title and fight at 205, which you can’t do. You have to vacate that title and move up.”

UFC 117 will air on pay-per-view. The Jon Fitch vs. Thiago Alves rematch will serve as the co-main event.

(Source: MMA Junkie)