Chris Weidman has said numerous times that he knows beating Anderson Silva at UFC 162 won’t define him as the middleweight champion of the world.
As a matter of fact, Weidman believes due to Silva’s iconic stature in the sport as the longest reigning champion in UFC history that even with a dominant victory, he will have to do it all over again to prove the first time wasn’t some fluke.
Weidman also knows that Silva has earned his reputation as the best in the world, so he’d happily grant him a rematch or face the Brazilian as many times as necessary to prove he’s the better fighter.
“There’s a lot of people that would love to fight Anderson Silva, and I got this opportunity and I would love to fight him twice,” Weidman told Bleacher Report. “I’ll fight him as many times as they want. No matter what, in this fight people are going to think of him as a god-like figure, and I just want that challenge. I have a lot of respect for him. As many times as the fans and the UFC want, I’m 100 percent down.”
UFC president Dana White apparently agrees with Weidman.
During a media luncheon on Monday, White revealed that if Silva loses—which would be the first time during his 16-fight UFC career—that he would be granted an immediate rematch against Weidman whenever he wants, according to MMAJunkie.com.
“I’d do the rematch the next fight,” White stated. “Guy hasn’t lost in the UFC ever, has beat everybody. He loses that fight, he’s the guy for a rematch if he wants it.”
The UFC has given immediate rematches on a few occasions in the past, usually when a bout is so close that a second fight is necessary to get a clear-cut winner.
Just recently after Benson Henderson defeated Frankie Edgar to win the UFC lightweight title, the UFC granted Edgar an immediate rematch. He lost the second fight as well, although opinions still vary to this day whether the judges got the call right or wrong with the decision.
It’s not likely Silva is approaching this fight with the mindset that even if he loses he knows he’ll get another shot at Weidman to regain his title.
With a perfect 16-0 record, 10 straight title defenses and a legacy on the line as the greatest fighter of all time, Silva is probably looking to put Weidman down like every fighter that’s stood across the Octagon from him thus far.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted
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