What did come as a shock was the fighter Gracie said would make sense for Diaz’s return, UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
Gracie wrote: “As far as future opponents, Nick has stated that he would like to take fights 'that matter.' Since GSP will be fighting Condit, he has to look elsewhere. He will respectfully ask for a fight with Anderson Silva, a fighter he respects and would like to challenge.”

SLIVA


Buy MMA Boxing Gear at Century MMA
It’s hard to know if this request was influenced by the fact that Silva and his management team seemingly have no interest in fighting any of the current batch of top-ranked middleweights.
Whatever the reason, there it was in black and white: Nick Diaz will return, and when he does, he wants Anderson Silva.
Ballsy? Check. Slightly delusional about his standing in the UFC? Most would say yes.
Money in the bank? You bet.
SILVA VRS DIAZ
One person that seems interested in seeing this fight is Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, who tweeted:

But as far as making it happen? You’re going to be hard pressed to convince fans that Diaz deserves a shot over Chris Weidman.Silva vs. Diaz is an interesting proposition, and it is a fight that would surely generate a great deal of interest along with a substantial amount of cash.
Sure, Georges St-Pierre versus Anderson Silva is a fight that puts any 185-pound contender on the backburner, but Nick Diaz, a fighter coming off a loss at welterweight as well as a year-long suspension? That’s a tough sell.
Crazier things have happened, though. Stay tuned.