Anderson Silva: 'If I fight Jon Jones, I don't think I'm going to win'

There is a sneaking Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) super fight suspicion that if Anderson Silva defeats Chris Weidman this weekend (Sat., July 6, 2013) at UFC 162 and Jon Jones topples Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 in two months (Sat., Sept. 21, 2013), the dominant champions will collide once and for all inside the Octagon.

After all, booking his legendary Middleweight king opposite perhaps his likely Light Heavyweight predecessor is the one mixed martial arts (MMA) match the UFC President Dana White "has to make" ... perhaps as soon as "this year."

Silva is game (for a nice price ... not a 50 percent company share), saying that he would be down to battle "Bones" at a catchweight (despite this statement), while Jones has been a little less eager, remarking that it is "not something he is chasing."

But, a blank check might be able to change that mindset.

Regardless, it's pretty clear that Anderson Silva vs. Jon Jones is nothing short of a sensational showdown no matter what mixed messages either fighter, or White, disseminate through MMA media.

However, with the possibility seeming more concrete as time passes -- and with Welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre withdrawing his name from the super fight sweepstakes (details here) -- it appears that "The Spider" is now testing some reverse psychological warfare.

Check out what Silva had to say earlier today (July 1, 2013) at a media luncheon in Burbank, California (via MMAFighting.com):

"If I fight Jon Jones, I don't think I'm going to win. Jon Jones is different. He's large. He's young. But, in the fight, I see in Jon Jones, I see myself from a long time ago. He's very smart. In my opinion, 'Spider' has more experience than Jon Jones, but that's the only advantage."

Silva, 38, undoubtedly holds the edge over Jones, 24, with nearly twice as many fights. And look no further than Silva's otherworldly statistical stat sheet (right here) for more proof that he is the best fighter to ever step inside the Octagon.

However, that status could change with a loss to Jones, or anyone for that matter, including Weidman this Fourth of July weekend. It's just going to take one hell of an extraordinary effort ... just don't expect Silva to bee too surprised if it comes at the hands of his much younger, and larger, 205-pound clone.