World-renowned boxing trainer Freddie Roach says he wasn’t all that surprised when long-reigning UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was brutally knocked out by Chris Weidman at UFC 162 last month.
Here are some of his comments from Monday’s edition of The MMA Hour:
“I definitely saw him get knocked out,” Roach told host Ariel Helwani. “My thought on that is that he just plays around too much. I think it’s too easy for him sometimes. He just got caught playing around. In this sport, one punch can change things, and this isn’t a sport you should actually play [around] …
The thing is, I think he gets a little bored in there because he’s talented, and he seems like he’s more talented than a lot of the guys. He is one of the best I’ve ever worked with. He understands timing and distance really well. I think he could’ve avoided taking those shots, but again, I’m not sure what his thought process was. I think he was just a little bit lazy and playing around too much.”
Heading into another pay-per-view title bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 6, Silva boasted an incredible 16-0 UFC record, including 10 successful middleweight title defense.
Furthermore, the last time “The Spider” had lost, it was a controversial disqualification against perennial contender Yushin Okami back in January 2006, with the Brazilian destroying “Thunder” in a rematch at UFC 134.
Despite his very impressive resume, many fighters, analysts and fans alike gave the undefeated Weidman a decent shot to pull off the upset, given his impressive grappling pedigree.
While Weidman, a four-time All-American Division I wrestler at Hofstra University and a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt, was able to take the fight to the ground in the opening frame, it was his underrated striking that ended Silva’s night early.
Although he ended the bout decisively, naysayers question whether or not “The All-American” can do it again, attributing his victory mostly to Silva’s showboating and taunting.
Roach, however, isn’t buying into any excuses for the loss.
“It’s part of his career, it’s part of his life, so we can’t say, ‘Well, he wasn’t ready for that one,’ or, ‘He didn’t train for that one.’ It is going to be part of his legacy and I think he needs to come back and come back well.”
The rematch is still at ways off, set for UFC 168 on December 28, once again taking place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
Will a more serious and focused Silva be impossible for Weidman to beat or will the new champion prove he has Silva’s number once and for all?
John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.
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