Anderson Silva, Conor McGregor UFC 200 fight rumors pick up

For about an hour on Thursday afternoon, it was “Time for Spider.”

UFC head honcho and killjoy Dana White, however, quicklyhalted the social media excitement regarding a potential Anderson Silva vs. Daniel Cormier match at Saturday’s UFC 200 event in Las Vegas, telling ESPN’s Brett Okamoto that the report (by Globo) was wrong.

“There is no fight made,” White texted to Okamoto. “We are talking to several fighters.”

White also told Okamoto on Wednesday that Silva had recently had his gallbladder removed.

The only name bigger than Silva mentioned in the UFC 200 rumor mill Thursday was Conor McGregor, who is slated to fight Nick Diaz at UFC 202 on Aug. 20. Like Silva, McGregor made it clear he’s ready to go Saturday night.

“I’m here and in shape. All they gotta do is ask,” McGregor said at the UFC press conference Thursday.

McGregor would need to eat Brock Lesnar-approved amounts of meat to be able to get up to Cormier’s weight class but the Irishman was his usual “anytime, anywhere” self.

“Usually I don’t prepare for a specific opponent,” McGregor said. “The reasons for that are clear to everybody – everybody I face pulls out. They all pull out.

“This time, I’m preparing for a tall, lanky, ugly Mexican southpaw. And that’s it.”