No fan of mixed martial arts would question the fact that Anderson Silva has owned the middleweight division since he won the title from the then-unstoppable Rich Franklin in October of 2006.  However, it seems that Silva has decided that striking fear into the hearts of middleweights is simply not enough, so he has decided to do so with light heavyweights, as well. 

This is the notice that Silva served with his brilliant 61-second victory over the dangerous James Irvin on the July 19th UFC Fight Night card.  While none would doubt the ability of Silva to turn nearly any opponent into a quivering heap of unconsciousness, many wondered about his ability to overcome the size and strength differences that he may encounter in the light heavyweight division.  Well, that speculation can now come to an end.  After all, while Irvin may not be the most skilled light heavyweight on the UFC’s roster, he is among the strongest, and Silva was able to negate that strength advantage with ease. 

The question now is, what’s next for Anderson Silva?  It would appear that, since Silva is still planning on defending his middleweight title, a showdown with England’s Michael Bisping looms on the horizon.  Bisping has already started marketing a potential meet-up, stating that Silva is “not unbeatable”.  While this only stands to reason, since all fighters are human, after all, it is as close to trash talk as you will find pointed in the direction of “The Spider”.  Of course, it is unclear whether Bisping (or any other middleweight) is prepared to take on a fighter of Silva’s caliber, and many of the best potential matchups in the division are with fighters not under UFC contract. 

Fights with former UFC competitors Matt Lindland or Robbie Lawler would be great, and a showdown with WEC champ Paulo Filho is also an attractive option, if Filho can continue to conquer his depression problems (and rival Chael Sonnen in a September rematch of their previous bout).  Filho is a better bet than Lindland or Lawler, as the UFC has quizzically not shown any interest in Lindland at all (though he is likely a top 2 or 3 middleweight, and one of the only fighters with an outside chance at beating Silva), and Elite XC is not letting Lawler go anywhere anytime soon.  Since the WEC is owned by Zuffa, which also owns the UFC, there is always a chance of a Silva-Filho matchup down the line.  With Filho’s great wrestling, good ground game and undefeated record, it is a matchup that could be hyped up well. 

In the meantime, there is no end in sight to Silva’s middleweight reign, as competitors are even changing weight classes to avoid him.  That is why Silva’s foray into the light heavyweight class is so fascinating.  Many fight fans have already imagined a striker’s matchup between Silva and Chuck Liddell, or a “battle of the Silvas” with fellow Brazilian Wanderlei Silva.  Furthermore, a fight against the undefeated Lyoto Machida would be fascinating, as both fighters have amazingly proficient technical striking abilities.  In the light heavyweight division, there are plenty of marquee matchups for Silva, even if it would not seem to be in his best interest to take on two divisions at once. 

In the end, the best threat to Anderson Silva’s middleweight title may be Silva himself.  If he wears himself down in battles with the best that the light heavyweight division has to offer, he may find himself overlooking his duties as middleweight champion.  However, an athlete as dominant as Silva did not get where he is by not challenging himself, and for Silva, this is just another challenge.