• UFC news

GSP 'will demand $50m to fight Silva'

Georges St-Pierre will reportedly demand big money to fight Anderson Silva © Getty Images

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: St-Pierre sees Hendricks as big threat
  
• News: GSP tells Anderson Silva to get in line
  
• News: GSP trainer wants Silva to drop to 170
  
• Profile: Anderson Silva | Georges St-Pierre

UFC welterweight Georges St-Pierre will demand a staggering $50 million to fight his middleweight counterpart Anderson Silva, according to reports over the weekend.

A fight between GSP and Silva, the two pound-for-pound best fighters in the UFC, has been heavily tipped and eagerly awaited ever since the Canadian defeated Carlos Condit at UFC 154 on his return to the Octagon - his first fight in 19 months.

The fight would be arguably the biggest in the history of the UFC, but St-Pierre is preparing to ask for a huge payday in order to make it happen - according to American fight journalist Mike Straka, citing sources ' very close to St Pierre'.

"I was told by somebody very close to Georges that Georges today makes close to $8 million a fight. So to fight Anderson Silva he's going to ask for $50m," Straka told The MMA Beat.

According to Straka, the inflated figure is because St-Pierre is fearful of the damage a bout with Silva - who would almost certainly hold the weight advantage in any fight to go with his height advantage, despite it being fought at a catchweight - could do to his future career earnings.

Straka continued: "[The source] said that Georges has 10 fights left in his career at $8m a fight. But he believes that Anderson could actually hurt him, could physically hurt him and end his career.

"So to take that chance he wants $50m and that's exactly the number he's going to go to Dana White with."

The UFC is hoping a Silva-GSP fight will be the most lucrative in its history - with the 100,000 capacity Cowboys Stadium in Dallas long highlighted as a potential venue for the contest.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.