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St-Pierre asks for time to prepare for Silva superfight

Georges St-Pierre knows he could lose exceptional sponsorship deals if his welterweight dominance came to an end © Getty Images

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Georges St-Pierre has put a future superfight with Anderson Silva firmly on the table, but it is unlikely that MMA fans should expect the bout to happen any time in the near future.

St-Pierre has been stung by suggestions that he is afraid of middleweight champion Silva, an accusation that arrived after the Canadian recently said Silva was a "huge guy" who is "very big".

Welterweight king St-Pierre would be taking the bigger risk against the Brazilian, knowing he concedes a height, reach and weight advantage. However, he insists his only concern is ensuring he has enough time to prepare correctly.

"I'm not afraid of anybody in the world," St-Pierre told Cagewriter. "I'm a martial artist. If it happens [with] the right timing and everything, I fight whoever they want. I can fight everyone in the world. I don't mind.

"That's not what I said. It's a complete re-orientation of my career. People are saying crazy stuff like, 'Oh, he just has to gain 30 pounds and take the fight and fight him in three months.' I can't get 30 pounds in three months. It would take a lot more than that. There's a lot that goes into the decision to jump from 170 to 185 pounds.

"Silva fights at light-heavyweight as well. So he walks around at … he's probably 40 pounds heavier than I am. So if I fight this fight, it might be at a catchweight. If it happens."

It was widely believed that the pair would meet if Silva defeated Vitor Belfort, which he did at UFC 126, and St-Pierre overcame Jake Shields on April 30. However, St-Pierre hinted Silva may now face another challenge.

"I've had a lot of success at 170. If I move to 185, I need to talk to my sponsors, my trainers. It's a complete change of life," St-Pierre said. "Do I want to take the risk? Maybe yes, it's gonna be a great challenge. Maybe, no. But I have to talk with my trainers. I have to fight Jake Shields, I think Anderson Silva has to fight Yushin Okami."

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