Anderson Silva is interested in a lucrative catchweight fight with Conor McGregor and told UFC president Dana White to make the bout happen.

McGregor fell short in his bid to reclaim the lightweight belt he was stripped of for inactivity when he submitted to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.

The fight became more notable for the fracas that occurred between the two camps after the event than for the actual in-ring action, but the possibility of a rematch remains on the card.

Silva, one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in UFC history who held the middleweight title for seven years between 2006 and 2013, does not see anything other than another one-side affair in that were to happen but believes a fight between himself and McGregor could be one for the ages.

Speaking to TMZ, in quote reported by MMA Junkie, Silva said: "I'm just waiting. I accept the challenge of Conor.

"I think Dana needs to think about this. It's two big guys in this sport, two big names. Two big legends and why not?

"It's not about money, Conor. It's about a martial arts challenge.

"I think 180 [pounds] for me is good. I think for Conor, too. Because that's a superfight. It's not about weight class.

"I don't believe Conor would win [against Khabib]. Definitely not. In a rematch, I don't believe that. I believe Conor needs to fight with me. That's a good fight."

In the build up to his fight against Khabib, McGregor labelled Silva – nicknamed 'The Spider' – as a "legend in the game".