There’s no disputing that former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Chris Weidman is one of the best to ever compete at 185 pounds.
With career victories over Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida, the New York native has accomplished a whole lot in a mere seven-year professional career. But, after dropping his championship belt to current titleholder Luke Rockhold at UFC 194, losing via a fourth-round technical knockout, “All-American” is back to needing to prove he’s one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in mixed martial arts (MMA).
In a recent interview (shown below) with Mauro Ranallo and Bas Rutten on “Inside MMA,” the 31-year-old discussed his upcoming rematch with Rockhold currently scheduled for UFC 199 on June 4, 2016.
“This is a do or die fight for me,” said Weidman. “I have to go out there and dominate him. This is my career on the line. This is bigger than my Anderson Silva fights.”
The former Middleweight king also talked about his mental state heading into his first fight with Rockhold and how a reboot could differ from a technical standpoint.
“I know where I was at for that last fight,” added Weidman. “I know my potential. I know where I was physically and mentally at and I know where I can be at.”
It has yet to be seen if Weidman is able to suffice for Rockhold’s natural strength and overpowering ground game, but he hopes that changing his previous six-month camp to a 12-month one will help close the gap.