Anderson Silva on Georges St-Pierre superfight: 'It would be an honor to fight him'

Long before Conor McGregor went chasing after any superfight he could find, UFC fans were teased with the prospects of Anderson Silva vs. Georges St-Pierre.

For years, it seemed, there was talk of a meeting between the two longtime champions, as both legendary competitors came close to cleaning out their divisions during the two longest title reigns in UFC history, with Silva holding the middleweight title for seven-and-a-half years and St-Pierre the welterweight kingpin for five-and-a-half.

The timing was never quite right for the superfight, however, and the door permanently seemed slammed shut once St-Pierre relinquished his title two-and-a-half years ago for what seemed to be a retirement, even though it was never officially called such.

But with rumors running rampant about a St-Pierre return, and Silva remaining active at age 41, the door is once again open for the two potentially meeting, even if that door's only open a crack.

"It could happen," Silva said through an interpreter at Wednesday's UFC 198 press conference in Brazil. "It would be an honor to fight him. It could happen."

Silva, who hasn't officially won a fight since defeating Stephan Bonnar in 2012, will meet Uriah Hall at UFC 198, but he seems to be angling for money fights above all else as his career winds down. Silva recently expressed interest in fighting McGregor, but on Wednesday, he denied the charge he's only chasing after the bucks.

"I've never thought thinking of money," Silva said. "I really want to test myself against him, he's a great athlete, had great skills, even though my focus is on y next opponent, but I'd like to test myself against him. I've never fought in the weight classes below, only in my younger days in Shooto. For me to test myself, it's a great fight."