Bellator not interested in UFC legend Anderson Silva

It was hardly a secret that Anderson Silva, one of the most iconic champions in the history of the UFC, was leaving the promotion following his fight versus Uriah Hall on Halloween, win or lose. 

After the 45-year-old tasted defeat for the third straight contest, some wondered if Bellator MMA would sign him on a short-term deal because the Silva name still carries value and could attract attention to the second-tier product.  

That apparently isn't the case. 

"I have a tremendous amount of respect for Anderson Silva, one of my favorite fighters and one of the greatest of all time, but I'm happy with our roster and the direction Bellator is heading," Bellator MMA president Scott Coker told ESPN's Ariel Helwani (h/t Marc Raimondi) shortly after UFC officially parted ways with the man who held the promotion's middleweight title from 2006 to 2013. 

Silva is well past his prime and has notched only a single victory since October 2012, a unanimous-decision win over Derek Brunson at UFC 208 on Feb. 11, 2017. According to MMA Decisions, 20 journalists surveyed scored that contest in favor of Brunson. 

Silva suffered two losses in 2019 but fought only Hall this year amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

Bellator may not come calling, but Silva isn't entirely out of options. Former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum recently joined the Professional Fighters League, while Paige VanZant signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in August.