Legend Anderson Silva to fill for Jon Jones at UFC 200

After losing the UFC’s current top pound-for-pound fighter to a positive drug test, the organization turned to perhaps its top pound-for-pound fighter of all time as the replacement.

Anderson Silva, who was middleweight champion from 2006 to 2013, stepped in for Jon Jones Thursday night and will fight light-heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier in a three-round non-title light-heavyweight bout in the reshuffled UFC 200 card Saturday at T-Mobile Arena here.

UFC President Dana White elevated the women’s bantamweight title fight between champion Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes to the new main event, with the Brock Lesnar-Mark Hunt heavyweight bout now standing as the co-main event, preceded by the Cormier-Silva bout.

White explained that Tate’s bout was promoted because it’s scheduled to be a five-round fight and Tate is “the woman who beat the woman [Holly Holm] who beat the woman [Ronda Rousey], … and you’ve got to give respect to that.”

There’s deep respect for Silva (33-7), too. The 41-year-old who keeps a home in the South Bay successfully defended his middleweight belt 10 times before losing to Chris Weidman in 2013.

“I’m in good shape, and I don’t want anyone to think I’m underestimating the champion,” Silva said Thursday night. “I’m here to challenge myself. I haven’t trained in a few months, but I think I’m in good condition.

“If I was worried, I wouldn’t be here tonight announcing this. A fight’s a fight. I’ve gone through a lot of bad things in my fights in the UFC, so anything can happen, but I’m prepared.”

As White pointed out, Silva won four fights against light-heavyweight opponents n impressive fashion during his title run, including three first-round knockouts.

His proud legacy coming to life at UFC 200 could help the UFC bridge some of the financial damage of losing Jones from the previously scheduled main event, White said.

And as a reporter noted the numerous challenges confronting Silva with Cormier (17-1), the former champion’s eyes tightened as if the desire to prove something was lit.

“I’ve gone through a lot of phases in my UFC career, and I was able to beat everyone out there, so I feel like I’m a blessed guy,” Silva said. “I don’t think anyone’s going to be able to beat what I’ve done, so I thank Dana for making this happen. I’m very happy to come here and face a guy like Daniel Cormier.”

Silva’s recent results have been checkered. He broke his leg in the rematch with Weidman, saw his 2015 victory over Nick Diaz overturned to a no-contest after Silva tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, then lost a close decision in London to England’s new middleweight champion, Michael Bisping, in February.

“We just walked in here from a [Thursday lightweight title] fight that ended in one round [with Eddie Alvarez upsetting former champion Rafael dos Anjos],” White said. “Anything can happen in this sport. Bisping came in on 11 days and knocked out Luke Rockhold, who destroyed him in their first bout. So anything’s possible.

“This is an interesting fun fight. Anderson Silva’s undefeated at 205, devastatingly undefeated. It’s a three-round fight because Anderson’s coming in on short notice. If he stops Cormier in three rounds … Anderson’s philosophy was … ‘If I beat Daniel Cormier, people are going to know I’m the guy anyway.’”

Cormier, distraught the night before over the loss of a major purse against Jones, now keeps his belt and is assured of the money.

Making the fight required extensive effort, said White, who watched his staff work “more than 24 hours” from the Jones incident to tear down signage outside T-Mobile Arena and alter commercials.

Because Silva is over 35 and about two months removed from gallbladder surgery, he required additional medical screening to be cleared for the fight.

“A lot of people got together and pulled this thing off,” White said. “He passed with flying colors. We got it all done in one day. That’s nuts.”

Silva was jovial in his Thursday night news conference, poking some fun at White and showing he’s a loose, experienced former champion poised to battle once again.

“It’s going to be interesting, I’m going to have to run a lot,” Silva said in Portuguese, a reference to a 2010 title defense in Abu Dhabi that steamed White.

Changing to English, Silva said, “I’m joking, boss, I come to fight.”

Asked his plan for Cormier, he said, “I was coming to Vegas, regardless, with my kids for some appearances. We’ll go to the mall and have some ice cream.”

Follow Lance Pugmire on Twitter @latimespugmire