Griffin to fight Silva at UFC 101

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White has confirmed that middleweight champion Anderson Silva will face former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 in Philadelphia on Aug. 8.

Silva has come under pressure in recent weeks after failing to put up a good performance in his last two fights.

“Forrest loved the idea and said he’d do it right away, and Anderson told me he would fight anyone I wanted him to fight, no matter who it is,” White told Yahoo Sports. “So we got the deal.”

“It’s a great fight for him and he’s anxious and excited about it,” Silva’s manager Ed Soares said of the fight.

“Forrest is a bigger, stronger guy with a lot of cardio and he’s the full package. The other thing Anderson likes about it is that Forrest is a big name with a huge heart and is a fan favorite kind of a guy. That’s the kind of match that makes a legendary kind of a fight and that’s what Anderson wants.”

Tags: Anderson Silva, Dana White, Forrest Griffin, UFC