Anderson Silva has gone on record saying that his MMA career is coming to a close. "The Spider" said his goal was to retire from competition at age 35 which is about a year and a half away. Apparently, he is looking forward to relaxing, getting fat and getting paid for having his name on MMA clothing...can't blame him. Silva has also said that he has 6 fights on his contract after the Patrick Cote title defense, all of which he will complete.

Since Silva has laid the groundwork out, assuming he is serious and sincere about his plans, I've been putting together a list of who he should take on in his final 6 fights. Since there are no real Middleweight contenders in the UFC, some of these fights might be out of left field. However, they all could happen. Here are Anderson Silva's remaining 6 fights...in a perfect world.

1. Chuck Liddell

This fight needs to happen next for both fighters. Although the fight between Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar has been billed by the UFC as it's biggest fight ever, I'd have to assume Silva/Liddell would be up there.

Chuck Liddell is still wildly popular and arguably the most recognizable face in the UFC even though he has struggled as of late. Nevertheless, Liddell is still a feared striker with great takedown defense, underrated wrestling and no submission losses on his record.

No doubt Anderson Silva is a better striker and submission artist than Liddell, but "The Iceman" would be the best striker Silva has ever fought. Would a hungry Liddell have enough motivation to take advantage of a lackluster Silva? I'd love to see.

2. Yushin Okami

Nobody on Earth wants to see this fight. However, in the interest of fairness it needs to happen for a few reasons.

First off, Silva needs someone to defend the UFC Middleweight title against and has beaten everyone else. Anderson is the UFC Middleweight champion and he should have to defend it against the number one contender at all times.

Secondly, Yushin Okami is the last man to defeat Anderson Silva. Although Okami won because of an illegal kick delivered by Silva, it was a win nonetheless. I'm sure Anderson would like some redemption.

Lastly, Okami is 6-1 in his UFC career, beating the likes of Evan Tanner, Mike Swick and Jason MacDonald. He would have gotten Cote's title shot if he was healty.

3. Robbie Lawler

The reigning Elite XC Middleweight champion unfortunately no longer has an organization to back that belt up. Lawler's battles with Scott Smith were a high spot for a failing organization. "Rutless" Robbie Lawler is 5-0-1 in his last 6 fights, winning by KO in every victory.

Lawler is a hard, striking veteran who holds victories over Frank Trigg, Ninja Rua, Joey Villasenor, Falaniko Vitale and Chris Lytle. He is one of the best Middleweights not under contract by Zuffa, and will be a free agent very soon.

If UFC decides to pick Lawler up after the mess with Elite XC is sorted out in court, I want to see the KO power of Lawler up against the fierce striking of Anderson Silva. It would be an extremely exciting fight.

4. Cung Le

Cung Le would be the most far fetched option because he is under contract with the Strikeforce organization, but this is a fight every true MMA fan wants to see. A fight between Cung Le and Anderson Silva would pit two Middleweight belt holders against one another.

I believe that Cung Le has Anderson Silva level striking. He is 6-0 in his short MMA career thus far, winning every fight by KO. He shattered Frank Shamrock's arm in his last contest.

Le's ground game is questionable at best, but we have yet to see Silva take any of his opponents down. If Silva is willing to stand and trade with Le, this fight would be the two best striking Middleweights on Earth. Make it happen!

5. Georges St. Pierre

A fight between Anderson Silva and Georges St. Pierre would be 2 of the 3 best pound for pound fighters in the world colliding. Assuming St. Pierre and Silva both still have their belts in a year from now, this fight might actually happen. It would be the superfight of superfights.

Except for his fluke KO loss against Matt Serra, GSP has looked pretty unbeatable. He has dominated every opponent recently, making him the Anderson Silva of the UFC Welterweight division.

GSP's striking ability, superior wrestling and submission prowess would give Anderson Silva problems, but wouldn't overwhelm him. Silva would have the advantage in striking and submissions, while St. Pierre would have the wrestling and overall physical edge. A very evenly matched fight that hopefully we can see before Anderson hangs it up.

6. Whoever The UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Is

If Silva comes to the end of his 6 fight contract still the UFC Middleweight champion, the man deserves a shot at the Light Heavyweight belt. Whoever is holding the belt a year and a half from now...Forrest Griffin, Quinton Jackson, Wanderlei Silva, Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine, Lyoto Machida, Luiz Cane...doesn't matter.

Anderson Silva should get the chance to add the 205 lbs. title to his MMA gear closet before he goes out. Not ony would it make a huge, huge fight, but some very interesting possibilities if Silva comes out victorious. Two championship tournaments, anyone?