The talk of a superfight between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has been a fantasy fight for fans for several years now, but it appears at least one of them isn’t very interested in it actually hap…
The talk of a superfight between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has been a fantasy fight for fans for several years now, but it appears at least one of them isn’t very interested in it actually happening.
UFC president Dana White has stated in the past that he believed both Silva and St-Pierre were on board for the fight, it was always just a matter of the timing working out to make it a reality.
Lately, however, White isn’t seeing that same kind of enthusiasm out of St-Pierre.
Leading up to UFC 162, when Silva faces current top middleweight contender Chris Weidman, St-Pierre has stated time and again that he believes the champion will lose and get finished by the challenger.
“Georges St-Pierre would not even think about this fight (against Anderson Silva) because (Chris Weidman) is going to win, according to Georges St-Pierre,” White stated when speaking to the media on Thursday.
The real question then becomes, were those St-Pierre’s genuine thoughts on the fight or a bit of wishful thinking on the part of the UFC’s top welterweight fighter?
St-Pierre has never openly stated that he actually wanted to face Silva in a superfight no matter how many times the question has been asked.His most recent declaration in support of Weidman speaks volumes about the perception that he has no interest in ever challenging the fighter universally recognized as the greatest of all time.
“There’s no doubt about it.That’s a fact,” White said when asked if it seems St-Pierre isn’t interested in a fight with Silva.“If that was the case, he’d say f—k Weidman, I’ll take that fight, I want that fight, I really think Weidman‘s going to beat him, (but) I don’t want Weidman to have that fight.I want to be the guy to beat him.”
White says there’s no ill will towards St-Pierre if he opts not to take the fight with Silva.Superfights only happen when both parties are willing and want the matchup to happen, and right now it seems St-Pierre isn’t interested.
“At the end of the day he weighs 170 pounds,” White said about St-Pierre.“If he weighed 185 pounds and felt that way, I’d be real pissed.”
The one part of the scenario that White doesn’t quite understand with St-Pierre is how he chose to take a fight at welterweight against a fighter like Johny Hendricks, who could very well end his reign as champion, as opposed to a huge payday and legacy fight against a legend like Silva.
“What’s crazy to me is GSP opted to take a very dangerous fight at 170, without trying to take a dangerous fight at 185,” White stated.
St-Pierre won’t return to action until November when he faces Hendricks for the UFC welterweight title. Any talk about him entering a superfight will have to be shelved until at least after that bout takes place.
No matter what St-Pierre is willing to say, White at least knows one of his champions are on board for the fight to take place.
“Anderson Silva wants to fight a superfight, either way,” White said in closing.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva isn’t ready to give up his crown as the best fighter on the planet just yet, but it appears he’s starting to plan ahead for life after fighting. The top ranked 185-pound champion has recently started dabbling as…
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva isn’t ready to give up his crown as the best fighter on the planet just yet, but it appears he’s starting to plan ahead for life after fighting.
The top ranked 185-pound champion has recently started dabbling as an actor, picking up several small roles in a few straight-to-video releases.He has already picked up a couple of new projects that will begin production later this year, including one titled Burning Sun, where he will star alongside Academy Award nominated actor Terrence Howard.
Silva isn’t slowing down his acting aspirations because he’s also recently agreed to star in a new film titled Monday Nights at Seven, where he would potentially star alongside former BattlestarGalactica actor Edward James Olmos.
The word potentially remains in that statement because the film is currently seeking funding through a Kickstarter program, with the creator of the movie project leading the way along with the assistance of Olmos, former UFC champion Frank Shamrock and now Silva also signing on with the project.
The director and creator of the film, Marty Sader, says landing Silva for his film was a big deal because he pegged the UFC middleweight champion early on in the process as someone he really wanted to bring aboard.
“I’ve been an Anderson Silva fan, a huge fan of his since the first time I saw him fight Chris Leben. The first time I was kind of introduced to him was in the UFC when he fought Chris Leben.Since then, I’ve seen his fights that came before that. I’ve seen everything I can get my hands on for Anderson.I can almost predict what he’s going to do next in terms of physical movements, that’s how much I’ve gotten to know and study him,” Sader told Bleacher Report recently.“You could say I was a fanatic, and I don’t see him as a fighter.I see him as an artist.”
Silva’s involvement is another piece to this puzzle, but the film is very intriguing beyond the addition of the UFC middleweight champion.
The film is set as a love story with a father connecting with his daughter, the trials and tribulations of the lead character dealing with his father and a new relationship that comes into his life.There will be a mixed martial arts element to the film, but Sader insists this is not an MMA movie.
There have certainly been plenty of attempts at making a pure MMA movie by Hollywood, including the film Warrior that snared Nick Nolte an Academy Award nomination back in 2011.
Sader‘s vision was a little different in how he wanted to incorporate MMA into his storyline in connection with his lead character.
The big twist in Monday Nights at Seven comes with the director and star actually stepping foot inside a cage for a fight that will be filmed live with no predetermined outcome.Sader has actually been training for an MMA debut, and if his film gets funded, he will compete at a Resurrection Fighting Alliance (RFA) event later this year.
While plenty of fights have been filmed for movies, it’s an unprecedented move outside of a documentary showing fight footage of an actual competitive bout taking place. Sader said that the vision for his project pushes the boundaries of what Hollywood has been willing to do to make something authentic.
“If you don’t push the boundaries, the norm will never change,” Sader said.“You’ve got to challenge whatever that norm is.For me, when I started training and really understanding what this was all about, the only way to understand is to live the life.Eating, training and sleeping, you don’t pretend for three months, you just do it.You do it because after a while, you realize that’s the only way you can honor these fighters.”
Sader even put himself through rigorous training to prepare for a bout that he hopes takes place later this year, assuming his Kickstarter campaign pays off.He’s worked with trainers like Greg Jackson, as well as sparred with several top-rated UFC fighters to get ready for a potential MMA debut.
Even at his home gym in California, where Sader has trained under the same coach responsible for UFC bantamweight women’s champion Ronda Rousey, nobody knew that this tall, lanky newcomer was actually a writer and director hoping to fight for his own film.
“I didn’t tell anyone. I’ve been training at Gokor’s (Chivichyan) gym for about three and a half years, and almost every fighter in there did not know about what I’m doing,” Sader revealed.“Because I didn’t want them to look at me like that. I wanted them to just see me as another guy. When I got the respect from them in their eyes is when they say to me that I would be ready.For the past six months or a year, they’ve been hounding me like ‘when are you going to fight?’ not knowing that I’m going to be fighting in a movie.”
Once Sader knew he had enough training to feel comfortable, he pushed forward with the project. He’s now added Silva with the full support of his manager, Ed Soares, who is also the president of Resurrection Fighting Alliance.
Assuming the Kickstarter crowd sourcing works for the movie, Sader will step foot in the cage during an RFA event later this year for a real fight that will be added to the movie.Sader says it’s not about whether he wins or loses in that fight—it’s more about the story of a man who realizes his dream by fighting for the first time.
“This is something that I’ve thought about in my quiet time, and I’m very aware of all the different angles of what could happen.What matters is always the story.The story is the most important thing. Any time you veer off that, you go wrong,” Sader said.“The story is ultimately about this guy, who in order to do the right thing and be an example to his daughter, steps into the cage ultimately pursuing his own dream, which is stepping into the cage.So, the outcome is not as important as the step that a father takes in order to assure his daughter’s future.That finally made the decision for me to finally go in there.”
The Kickstarter campaign for Monday Nights at Seven runs through the beginning of August. If the film finds the proper funding, Sader will fight at an RFA event, and then Silva will join the cast in front of the camera to film his parts of the upcoming production.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
UFC 162 fast approaches with the main event featuring top-rated middleweight contender Chris Weidman getting his long-awaited shot at dethroning the best fighter of this era, Anderson Silva.The talking is almost done, and with weigh-ins for the ev…
UFC 162 fast approaches with the main event featuring top-rated middleweight contender Chris Weidman getting his long-awaited shot at dethroning the best fighter of this era, Anderson Silva.
The talking is almost done, and with weigh-ins for the event just about 24 hours away, it’s now time to make some final picks and predictions on the upcoming card.
Bleacher Report MMA Lead Writer Jeremy Botter and MMA editor-in-chief Brian Oswald break down who they believe are the biggest locks to come away victorious on Saturday night.
Can Silva retain his title and extend his already record-breaking title-defense streak?
Will former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar stop his recent three-fight skid and get back on track against young Brazilian Charles Oliveira?
Check out the video, and then leave your predictions for the biggest locks on the card for UFC 162 below.
Anderson Silva already holds most of the major championship and fight records in UFC history, so win, lose or draw on Saturday night at UFC 162, his legacy is already intact. So when he was asked about what the fight against Chris Weidman means to him,…
Anderson Silva already holds most of the major championship and fight records in UFC history, so win, lose or draw on Saturday night at UFC 162, his legacy is already intact.
So when he was asked about what the fight against Chris Weidman means to him, Silva answered honestly on Wednesday during a media session after a workout.
“Regardless of anything I’ve done, I feel like I’ve done everything I could do in this sport,” Silva said. “I’m the only guy whose got four belts in four different organizations, I’ve got the Shooto belt, the Cage Rage (belt), unified the Pride belt when I fought Dan Henderson and I’ve got the UFC title. So I’ve done everything I have to do in my career.
“So now it’s just about passing on the message to the kids and everyone coming up. Just continuing on with my career.”
At 38 years of age, Silva has won 16 straight fights in the UFC, defended his title 10 consecutive times and bounced up and beaten a former champion in a higher weight class in Forrest Griffin.
That doesn’t even mention the accomplishments he had before he made it to the UFC. He’s secure with his place in MMA history.
Time and again, UFC president Dana White says that Silva is all about his legacy and cementing his place with the biggest fights possible.
“Anderson Silva is on the verge of signing a new big deal with us, and he wants big fights,” White said in January on ESPN Chicago 100. “That’s what he wants.”
According to the long-reigning champion, he’s been to the biggest heights already, so now his career is just about teaching martial arts to the next generation of competitors.
“I’m relaxed because this is normal for me. I’ve been training for a long time.I like training, I like fighting. I don’t (fight) because I have the belt. I don’t fight because I’m the best pound for pound in the world. I fight because I love my work,” Silva said.“Martial arts has changed my life, martial arts changed the life of my sons, changed the life of my friends. Mixed martial arts, MMA is the new sport, martial arts is different.Martial arts changed my life.”
Silva refuses to amp up the pressure for his upcoming fight against Weidman because it’s just that—another fight.
He has seen everything before, and this is just another chance to go out and ply his craft inside the Octagon.Silva’s craft usually ends with his opponent on the floor staring up at the lights wondering what happened.
That’s the way the fights always seem to go when you’re the greatest of all time.
“The fight is the fight, it’s normal for me,” Silva said.“A win is normal.”
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
When Anthony Pettis went down with a knee injury forcing him out of his scheduled bout at UFC 163 against featherweight champion Jose Aldo, it also adversely affected this weekend’s UFC 162 card. The show was stacked with several featured featherweight…
When Anthony Pettis went down with a knee injury forcing him out of his scheduled bout at UFC 163 against featherweight champion Jose Aldo, it also adversely affected this weekend’s UFC 162 card.
The show was stacked with several featured featherweight bouts, but when Pettis got injured, the UFC had to make the call to pull one of the fighters to fill his spot.Ultimately, Chan Sung Jung, aka “The Korean Zombie”, got the nod and now faces Aldo next month in the main event on the card.
Needless to say, there were a lot of featherweights also fighting on the UFC 162 card that wanted the shot in front of Jung.Count Cub Swanson among them because he believes he definitely deserved it, as well as Ricardo Lamas, who was set to face Jung before the switch was made.
Swanson is quite sure that Jung will be completely overmatched when he steps in the Octagon with Aldo.He doesn’t even believe Jung would have gotten out of his fight with Lamas without a loss added to his record.
“It did kind of burst my bubble a little bit.He’s not ready.He’ll get exposed,” Swanson said during the UFC 162 open workouts on Wednesday when speaking about Jung.“Ricardo Lamas would have beat him, 100 percent easy. Easy win for him.That’s fine, I’ll get my chance.”
Swanson believes Jung was the chosen one for the fight against Aldo due to his popularity with fans more than his actual accomplishments in the cage.Throughout his career from the days where he fought in the WEC all the way to his time in the UFC, Swanson has shied away from interviews and the spotlight, but if that’s what it takes to get a title shot he will add that to his resume as well.
“It shows me where I need to work in popularity,” Swanson said.“For a little while I kind of shunned away from the media and just concentrated on my skill sets and performing and I got that down.I feel like I’m doing well.It’s now my chance to share my story with you guys and try to get out there more.
“Because if the fans don’t know about me, then they don’t care about me, and I won’t get a chance to fight for the title.I know that’s the missing piece.”
Swanson has a chance this weekend to make a statement in his fight against German-born striker Dennis Siver on the main card of one of the biggest shows of the year.
Currently, Swanson is riding a four-fight win streak with three of those victories by knockout or TKO. He would love to add another finish to his record this weekend.
“I feel like this could be my greatest accomplishment yet,” Swanson said about his fight with Siver.
When it’s all over, UFC commentator Joe Rogan will likely enter the cage and put a microphone in front of Swanson’s face to talk about the victory.Unlike many past fighters, however, Swanson won’t start demanding title shots or saying that it’s his time to face Aldo.
Swanson wants to leave that decision up to the fans, and if they believe in him enough, their voices will speak much louder volumes to the higher ups at the UFC.
“I feel like if I get the opportunity, I’m going to ask the fans to decide,” Swanson said.“I feel like my work speaks for itself.I’m not the biggest media guy, I just like to fight.I try to do my best and let my work speak for itself.I feel like when the public, when the fans are ready to see me fight for the title, whoever they want to see me fight, then that’s what I need to do cause that’s my job.”
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted
Chris Weidman will have the biggest fight of his young career on Saturday night when he faces UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 162. Although Weidman has only been in the UFC for a total of five fights, he’s made a quick…
Chris Weidman will have the biggest fight of his young career on Saturday night when he faces UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in the main event of UFC 162.
Although Weidman has only been in the UFC for a total of five fights, he’s made a quick rise up the middleweight ranks with a slew of impressive performances.
The New York native is also adept at pre-fight preparation because any time that he’s had a full multi-week training camp to prepare for an opponent, he’s won the subsequent fight and finished each time (his two decisions in the UFC both came in short-notice bouts).
So as he prepares for his bout against Silva at UFC 162, Weidman opened up about what he did specifically to get ready for his chance to dethrone the fighter most commonly recognized as the greatest of all-time.
Nutrition
Every fighter has their own methods when it comes to eating before a fight begins. The role of the nutritionist in MMA has virtually become as important as the coaches that implement a game plan for winning a fight.
Coaches like Mike Dolce are routinely sought out for their expertise in fueling a fighter’s body the right way before a bout while also ensuring the correct kind of weight cut happens 24 hours out from a fight.
In preparation of Silva, Weidman brought in a familiar face to UFC fans to help get his nutrition on track and get the best possible food in his body throughout training camp.
“I hired former UFC fighter Aaron Simpson, along with some nutritionists from Sanford Health’s ‘Profile Performance’ program,” Weidman revealed recently.“They tailored a specific diet for me for 12 weeks out, eight weeks out and so on.Cytosport’s supplements play a major role in my diet. I take a Monster Milk after every workout and Muscle Milk Light as meal replacements when I am trying to bring my weight down a bit.”
During fight week, the intensity turns up even more because Weidman‘s schedule shifts dramatically with the move from his camp in New York to Las Vegas.The three-hour time difference, as small as it may seem, can hit everybody in different ways.
For Weidman, he adjusts his training and eating schedule in relation to when he will actually hit the cage on Saturday night.For a main event bout like his, Weidman and Silva should enter the Octagon around midnight ET/9 p.m. PT.
“I have Aaron, along with my coaching staff, coming in all week to help me out.We will work out in the evening around the same time that my fight will take place on Saturday night,” Weidman said.“We stick to a strict plan to ensure the weight comes off the right way, and I will refuel accordingly.”
Weidman‘s success in the UFC is undeniable, but because the stakes were raised for this fight, he did make some significant changes to ensure his readiness for this bout.No matter what has been done in the past, Weidman knew he’d need to go the extra mile to face Silva.
“I did a lot for this fight.I added a strict nutritional and supplement plan. My camp was much more structured,” Weidman said.“I brought in numerous sparring partners from around the country. I added cycling to my cardio program. This is the best that I have felt heading into a fight.”
Weidman will hit the scales on Friday, and because it is a championship bout, he has to hit the mark at 185 pounds or less.There will be no one-pound allowance, which is normally given to fighters during a weigh-in, because a title is on the line.
After making the 185-pound limit, Weidman will then head out with his team for a traditional post-fight meal that’s always the same. “I eat spaghetti and meatballs after I weigh in,” Weidman says.
Workout Routines
Weidman always has a great team around him to prepare for any fight. From head coach and boxing instructor Ray Longo to longtime jiu-jitsu instructor Matt Serra, Weidman surrounds himself with the best.
For this fight camp, Weidman worked with a variety of training partners, including UFC welterweight Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, who emulated a kickboxing style similar to Silva’s.
He also made trips to Manhattan, where he worked at Renzo Gracie’s academy, routinely training with names like UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and a huge cast of characters with big-fight experience.
As far as his day-to-day preparation, Weidman shared his normal training schedule to show what a high-level UFC fighter does to get ready for a championship bout:
Monday
—8 a.m.—Bike ride.
—1:30 p.m.—Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
—8:30 p.m.—Heavy pad work with strength and conditioning.
Weidman hits the pads for about six rounds, and directly after, he has circuit training.
First Circuit
Double-arm rope slams for 30 seconds.
Squat to push press 30-pound dumbbells.
Car push 60 yards.
Fireman rope pull 200-pound sled.
Farmers’ walk 60 yards with 80-pound dumbbells.
(This circuit is done two consecutive times before he segues to the second circuit).
Second Circuit
Jumping jacks with battle ropes for 30 seconds.
15-20-second static hold on chin-up bar.
Push-up to dumbbell row for 20 reps.
Static hold with band in a seated-row position.
Bungee-cord run.
Tuesday
Light pad work in the morning, and sparring in the afternoon.
Wednesday
—8 a.m.—Bike ride,
—1 p.m.—Wrestling at Hofstra University.
—8:30 p.m.—Strength and conditioning.
Five-Minute/Five-Round Circuit with One-Minute Rest Period
30-second incline run 8 mph at 7.5 percent incline.
20 thrusters (squat with press).
20 one-arm dumbbell row with 50 pounds.
20 medium ball push-ups.
20 dumbbell hammer curls with 25 pounds.
20 power toe touches with medium ball.
Thursday
Brazilian jiu-jitsu in the morning and sparring in the afternoon.
Friday
A combination of wrestling, strength and conditioning work, a light swim and some stretches.
Saturday
Sparring and massage.
Sunday
Rest.
All of this combined is what Weidman did week-to-week to get ready for Silva and their upcoming fight on Saturday.
While Weidman‘s fight camp started about 12 weeks out from the date for the fight, he says his actual preparation has been going on for about four years now.
“I have been preparing to fight Anderson Silva ever since I started training MMA,” Weidman stated.
Will all the hard work, dedication and preparation pay off for Weidman? UFC 162 will tell the tale on that story.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted
The talk of a superfight between UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre has been a fantasy fight for fans for several years now, but it appears at least one of them isn’t very interested in it actually happening.