With Friday's unfortunate revelation that UFC light-heavyweight Thiago Silva (13-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) would be forced to withdraw from a UFC 89 clash with fellow-undefeated-contender Lyoto Machida (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC), Machida's camp has been forced to re-evaluate its current position in the UFC's light-heavyweight division.
Machida'a manager Ed Soares recently spoke with MMAjunkie.com (
www.mmajunkie.com) about the camp's immediate reaction to the news.
"I guess [Silva] hurt his back pretty bad a few weeks ago, and he's been trying to work through it," Soares explained. "And then [Thursday], something during practice -- supposedly today he's not even able to walk. It's horrible. We were really looking forward to that fight. But hopefully he's able to heal up and be OK soon."
Soares said Machida was disappointed to lose the opportunity to face Silva.
"[Machida] was bummed," Soares said. "He was really looking forward to the fight. Now we're just eager to find out who the next opponent is going to be."
Soares said he believes Machida will remain on the UFC 89 card, but that finding an opponent for the elusive Machida may prove difficult.
Sources close to the bout have suggested the UFC may be looking to bring in an as-yet-unnamed fighter from outside of the organization.
In recent weeks there has been much speculation over what impact UFC 88 and UFC 89 would have on the light-heavyweight title picture. While many believe Chuck Liddell could push his way into a title shot with a win tonight over Rashad Evans, several others argued that the winner between Machida and Silva would be in a position to challenge current champion Forrest Griffin.
With Silva's injury, Soares believes Liddell may now control his own destiny.
"We're concerned about [losing a title shot]," Soares admitted. "In this game a lot of things can play out. I do see that if Chuck beats Rashad [tonight], in a lot of ways I can see Chuck getting a title shot with Forrest.
"I think for the sport, at this point, it would be a big fight. It's a fight that fans would probably want to see. We were hoping that maybe after the rematch Lyoto, or maybe the winner of Lyoto and Thiago would get that (title shot)."
For now Machida and Soares must wait to see what type of opponent the UFC can deliver with six weeks' notice. Soares hopes it will be an aggressive opponent capable of performing in a style similar to the vicious Silva.
"I think it just has to be a fight that makes sense," Soares said of a replacement. "It sucks because it's like, how many fights does Lyoto have to have to get a title shot?
"I think that styles make fights, and I felt that -- we all felt that -- the Thiago fight would have been a good matchup. Thiago's an aggressive fighter. He's going to push the fight. And that's the kind of fight that makes it exciting, especially against an opponent like Lyoto."
And ultimately, Soares hopes for the best for Silva as well.
"We all hope that he heals quick and hopefully can get back in fighting shape," Soares said. "At the end of the day, we're all human. We're all fighters, and it's just a shame to see someone get hurt. Hopefully he can heal up and get back to training as soon as possible."
