Does Silva still care?

The old saying that you have to love your career or you just consider it a job.. After listening to the UFC 117 conference call between Anderson Silva and Cheal Sonnen, the answer is starting to become clear. Silva faces Sonnen is the main event on August 7th from the Oracle Arena in Oakland. Silva is the definitive favorite going into the fight but how interested is he?

During today's conference call, he kept getting asked questions about Sonnen and would give one word answers and when asked about his training for the fight, Silva said he trained with actor Steven Segal. I do not think anyone cares that he worked out with an actor who was in his prime shape about 15 years ago.

The way Silva has foughtand the comments he has made lately, he is coming off as a man that does not care about the sport anymore. Recent performances against Patrick Cote, Thales Leites and Demain Maia have proven those statements. Silva knew after the first 2-3 minutes of the fight, that he was better than his opponent. He pranced around like a ballerina and shuffled around like Muhammed Ali and would engage when he felt like it. That led to boos from the crowd, the fans around the world who purchased the event on PPV.

After his UFC 112 in Abu Dhabi performance against Demain Maia, UFC President Dana White had enough. After the 4th round, White threw the belt at Silva manager Ed Torres and told him that he could put the belt around Silva after the fight. White was disgraced. It was a new market, in front of the new minority owners in Flash Entertainment, and with a man who in some circles is regarded as the best pound 4 pound fighter in the world and he turns in another perfomance like that. White said that was a disgrace to all UFC fans and he will make it up to the fans and if Silva puts on another perfomance like that, then he will fire Silva.

You would think Dana White would just force Silva to fight at 205 because that is the only time he seems to want to fight. Just look at his two fights at 205 against James Irvin and Forrest Griffin. He needs to fight guys that are threats to him or he won't take them seriously..

So if Silva gets by Sonnen and then the expected fight against Vitor Belfort, he will move to 205 or have the mega-fight with Georges St.Pierre and then move up to 205. For Anderson Silva's sake he better fight like he's supposed too or I think Dana White will follow on his threat and get rid of the man some regard as the greatest MMA fighter of all time.