Anderson Silva Granted License by NAC; John McCarthy to Referee Silva-Diaz at UFC 183

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Anderson Silva’s bout with Nick Diaz at UFC 183 has been green-lit, as “The Spider” was Monday granted a license to compete by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Silva’s request for a license was unanimously approved during Monday’s NAC meeting at Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas. The NAC requires commission approval to license fighters over 35 years of age; Silva is 39.

The former UFC middleweight champion will face Diaz on Jan. 31 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Silva’s license was approved after only moments of discussion with the commission, who asked the Brazilian to discuss his current training.

“I’m very good, very happy,” Silva said via telephone. “I go to the academy, go running for 15, 30 minutes, and when I finish, I go to shadow box and jiu-jitsu movements, and go back to home.”

The NAC also assigned officials for the Silva-Diaz bout during Monday’s meeting. Veteran referee “Big” John McCarthy will oversee the 185-bout main event, while judges Sal D’Amato, Marcos Rosales and Glenn Trowbridge will score the bout from cageside. McCarthy was selected from a short list of three potential referees which also included Herb Dean and Mark Smith.