'I'm ready, Conor's ready': UFC legend Silva says he's ALREADY cutting weight for McGregor superfight

UFC legend Anderson Silva has fueled talk he could face Conor McGregor in a catchweight 'superfight', saying he's already in training for a showdown with the Irishman.

Brazilian veteran Anderson, 45, called out McGregor after the Irishman issued a list of his 'MMA GOATs' - placing Anderson at the top of the pile and himself second, but with the Dubliner vowing he would "easily" reach the summit by the time he retires.

McGregor duly accepted the callout from Anderson for a catchweight showdown at 176lbs, whetting the appetite for an improbable match-up between two all-time MMA fan favorites.   

Despite clear objections from the likes of UFC boss Dana White - who has urged McGregor to direct his focus toward the lightweight ranks - Silva says he is serious about the prospect of meeting the 31-year-old Dubliner.

"So I talked about my superfight with Conor, and I start to cut my weight," Silva told former UFC star Chael Sonnen on his YouTube show. 

"And for no excuse and for everybody talking about, 'Oh but Anderson don’t take the weight and blah blah blah.'

"Ok, I start training and I’m ready for that. Conor's ready too. And it’s one thing, just Dana White, you need to make this fight real. Let’s go see."

One man desperate to see the bout come to fruition is Sonnen - who touted the prospect as realistic, regardless of the obstacles.  

"[Anderson] is a master," said Sonnen. "As it pertains to Anderson and Conor, that fight is very real... 

"As Anderson said there, 'I don't want anyone to think there's a size discrepancy there, so I'm willing to come down to 176lbs'.

"I think if you look at Anderson there, you're looking at a lean guy...I take him as very sincere when he called out Conor.

"That visual of you guys seeing that happiness on his face, 'I called out Conor, Conor said yes', I think that's a very real thing. And that means it's down to us. Dana listens to what you guys have to say."

"I can imagine you want to see that fight, I really want to see that fight...," Sonnen added.  

"I take Anderson as sincere... I think that that's real, and that's a possiblity. What's on the line for that fight?

"It's personal for Anderson. Conor put out his top ranking and Anderson was number one, but I believe something was lost in translation and Anderson was actually insulted, cause 48 hours later he called Conor out...

"Whatever, if Anderson was p*ssed, I don't care, more entertainment for the rest of us.

"Maybe I'm spinning, but what are you going to do with Conor right now?

"It's a fight that doesn't affect anything, it's a weight class that they are just agreeing to. It seems like that's no skin off anyone's nose.

"If Conor beats Anderson, that's huge. If he loses but competes with Anderson, go ahead and slide it down, how many times does Conor need to show his courage and bravado?

"We're screaming from the top of the buildings to see it... We now know that Spider's not kidding."  

Brazilian MMA icon Silva holds the record for the longest ever championship reign in the UFC, ruling as middleweight king for almost seven years between 2006 and 2013 - which included a submission victory against Sonnen in 2010.

However, 'Spider' has won just one of his last eight octagon outings, and was stopped by Jared Cannonier in the first round of their meeting in Brazil last May.  

Former two-weight champ McGregor made a successful comeback in January of this year, stopping Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone after just 40 seconds of their welterweight bout in Las Vegas.