Chris Weidman is for real folks.
The undefeated fighter put on a dominant showing against top contender Mark Munoz in the main event of the UFC on Fuel TV 4 card.
Weidman used his wrestling to control Munoz in the first round that could’ve easily been scored as a 10-8. It was much of the same in the second round as Weidman again secured a takedown. However, this time Munoz was able to work his way back to his feet, at which point he attempted to land one of his vaunted power punches.
Weidman caught Munoz coming in with a slicing right elbow that seemed straight out of Jon Jones’ playbook. In what was supposed to be a big comeback win for Munoz, Weidman instead stole the title opportunity out from under him in the main event.
What Fans Will Take Away from This Fight
Without a doubt this fight will be considered Weidman’s dominant performance.
Munoz is a tough guy, and Weidman controlled him during every second of the fight. Weidman not only controlled Munoz through his wrestling but also with his jiu-jitsu.
It’s clear that training with the Serra-Longo camp is paying big dividends for Weidman; he puts on a better performance each time he steps into the Octagon.
What We Learned about Chris Weidman
What can you say about Weidman’s performance that hasn’t already been said by the MMA community?
The guy showcased all of his skills tonight against a very tough Munoz.
Fans were well aware of Weidman’s grappling skills with a strong wrestling background coupled with solid jiu-jitsu, but he showed some new wrinkles in his game tonight.
Weidman landed a picture perfect elbow to not only cut Munoz but also dropped “The Filipino Wrecking Machine” to the canvas. The stoppage capped an amazing performance by Weidman that could see him become next in line for a title shot.
What We Learned about Mark Munoz
I’m not sure if it was Weidman being on his A-game or if it’s a case of cage rust, but Munoz really didn’t look himself tonight.
An early takedown and a dominant round by Weidman looked to frustrate Munoz. He never really threatened Weidman throughout the contest, looking instead like he was in survival mode during the fight.
Where Do the Fighters Go from Here
For Weidman it may be Anderson Silva.
A lot of fans and analysts were already high on Weidman as a prospect coming into the bout, but after this performance he’s effectively jumped to “in-the-mix” status.
If it isn’t “The Spider,” then Weidman should be paired up against another top-level guy. Chael Sonnen and Alan Belcher are two names that are being floated around as great possibilities.
Munoz looked extremely depressed after the fight following his performance and will need to go back to the drawing board. Whether or not it was the lengthy layoff—or he simply came out flat against Weidman—Munoz was anything but a wrecking machine tonight.
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