Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva is giving lessons on respect.
If posts came with laugh tracks, I would insert one here.
That's because "The Spider" has been lambasted over the past few months (examples here and here) for his wanton disrespect inside the Octagon, most notably against Chris Weidman at the UFC 162 pay-per-view (PPV) event last month in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Still, the longtime mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter -- who eventually wants to test himself in the "sweet science" -- insists he respects "all the guys in the world" following his stunning knockout loss to the "All American." Well, almost all the guys, since he's got no time for Floyd Mayweather.
From his conversation with Sway's Universe:
"Who? Who? Boxing is a great sport. My dad fight boxing for long time in Brazil. I like the story. Boxing have traditional story and oeople in United States love boxing. I watch Roy Jones, Oscar de La Hoya, Vinny Pazienza, The big man, the great man in boxing in my opinion is Muhammad Ali is the great boxer. He give the chance to change the world inside the ring and outside. Boxers have the great story. I respect for boxing. Floyd Mayweather? I don't know this guy. Is he Papa Smurf? Mayweather is good boxing. This is my opinion. The guy no respect me. I respect all the guys in the world. Mayweather is a part of this story in the world. I'm part of the sport in the world. Mayweather need to respect this, but this guy no respect nothing. Sorry, but I no respect Mayweather."
I guess that would make Mayweather Sr. Gargamel?
If it sounds like Silva is short-changing "Money" just to cause trouble, he's not. Mayweather told the combat sports media that he didn't know who "The Spider" was ahead of the UFC 162 event and that there was "nothing to talk about." Though in his defense, that can happen when you ask MMA questions at a boxing press conference.
Mayweather fights Canelo Alvarez next month in "Sin City."
Silva will have a chance to get back on top when he rematches Weidman in the main event of UFC 168, which goes down on Dec. 28, 2013 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. But win or lose, don't expect Mayweather to give a damn.
And vice versa.