As it stands now, Anderson Silva is still sitting it out on account of a suspension order after that unceremonious debacle involving him and Nick Diaz for UFC 183 held way back in January of this year.
To recall, Silva was found guilty of taking in banned substances at that time resulting in the ban, but the suspension is expected to be up soon with The Spider able to return to Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) action by February 2016.
For now, there are no plans when it comes to Silva's return bout, but with UFC Fight Night 77 just concluding, his name somehow found its way into the picture. Apparently, this was because Silva is from Brazil and a return to the Octagon would be enormous if he was able to perform right in front of his hometown crowd.
The next event scheduled to be held in Brazil will be UFC 197, which is scheduled for March 2016. That should be perfect timing since this would already be two months after Spider can return to UFC action.
UFC Brazil general manager Giovani Decker somehow gave a hint of that idea during the post-UFC Fight Night 77 event.
"There's nothing set," Decker said. "I think it's another wish of Anderson's to fight in Brazil; I think every fighter has that wish."
If so, it would be the first time since 2012 when Silva last fought on Brazil soil. His last match in front of his hometown was against Stephen Bonnar whom he defeated via TKO.
Assuming Silva does make a return engagement, it will be interesting to see who the UFC could pit against the Spider. Then there is the matter of the condition of Silva who has been out of it lately, although there are reports that he has been spotted training with Ronaldo Souza in Brazil recently.
Should Silva indeed be on the card, any wild guesses on who could be fit to face the Spider at UFC 197? Nick Diaz is certainly out of it since he himself is dealing with a suspension order, the duration of which stands at five years for now though it may be reduced soon.
