Anderson Silva is the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
A couple of years ago, that statement would have sparked a passionate debate, almost certain to be heavy on the name-calling. But now more than ever, the statement is accepted, disagreements raging far less frequently.
That is not to say that dissipating opposition to the pro-Silva proclamation factually confirms his stature as the best fighter ever—such a title is invariably drenched in subjectivity—but it is gaining traction as what we might call a widely-held belief.
Nevertheless, there is at least one person who believes he has what it takes to topple Silva from his position as UFC middleweight champion. That man is surging 185-pound juggernaut, Chris Weidman.
Since brutalizing Mark Munoz earlier this July, Weidman has been angling for a go at Silva, claiming he not only deserves the opportunity, but that he is liable to cash-in on it.
Prior to the UFC 150 weigh-ins that took place Friday, August 10, Weidman participated in a Q&A session, and many of the questions directed his way revolved around a potential showdown against Silva. When ask about his thoughts on the matchup, Weidman replied:
I really believe I could beat him. I wouldn’t be asking for this fight, you know, if I didn’t believe it so, you know, also, I not only believe I could beat him, I believe I could go out and finish him….It’s going to be awesome to beat Anderson Silva.
After fielding some other questions, the exchange naturally wheeled back to Silva. This time, Weidman went so far as to question Silva’s willingness to try to stop him from taking the 185-pound strap.
I think the job for the champion is, you know, to fight the top contender….I’m hoping that Anderson Silva is the guy I think he is, and that he wants the biggest challenge, and to face that challenge and to defeat it, and I think I’m the biggest challenge right now.
Unfortunately for Weidman, Silva’s manager, Jorge Guimaraes doesn’t seem to share his belief, nor does he seem to think there is any point in putting the fight together.
In an interview with Tatame.com, Guimaraes referred to challenges issued by Weidman, as well as those by Tim Boetsch and Alan Belcher, as “a big joke,” before going on to say the UFC “can’t promote an event with these amateur kids that are coming up now.” Later in the interview, Guimaraes explained that the only fight he wants for Silva is a catchweight contest with Georges St-Pierre.
For his part, St-Pierre has expressed that he stands with Weidman on the issue. The welterweight champ told MMAfighting.com “There are a lot of big fights coming up. Chris Weidman, I’ve seen him in training. He’s at a different level. He can be world champion if he fights Anderson Silva….”
Before GSP provided his two cents on the matter, Weidman verbally fired back at Silva’s management during an interview with MMAweekly.com.
It’s like they’re trying to avoid my name being mentioned at all for the title shot. They’re trying to deflect with other guy’s names so people can start thinking about them as possibilities, but even guys they’re choosing to call out like GSP or (Nick) Diaz, they’re both welterweights. I mean GSP, let’s start with him. The guy is coming off ACL surgery, we don’t even know for sure when he’s fighting, and when he does fight he’s fighting Carlos Condit for the welterweight title. You never know what’s going to happen and best-case scenario he could fight again around May. So if anything, fight me next, if you beat me then you get your shot with GSP. You’re just calling out a 170lber coming off ACL surgery.
While Weidman’s comments were definitely heated, note that they were made before the UFC 150 presser referenced above, so the 28-year-old appears to have cooled down a bit. That, however, does not mean he has backed down from insisting he is the guy Silva should be focused on.
But is he right? Has he done enough to demand Silva fight him, or is Guimaraes right to shrug him off?
Well, on one hand, Weidman has just nine MMA fights. But on the other, he is arguably the most promising fighter to have entered the sport since Jon Jones. Besides, his destruction of Mark Munoz proves that he is ready for top middleweight competition, even if he is fairly green as a fighter.
If something can be put together between Silva and GSP, then fine, get it done. But if not, there are no contenders more deserving than Weidman for a crack at Silva, and brushing him aside as “a big joke,” is ironically silly.
Still though, deserving the chance to fight Silva is not the same thing as entering the fight with a legitimate shot at winning. So the question then becomes, would Weidman be a real threat to Silva if given the opportunity to fight him?
The answer—yes. Yes he would.
It’s hard to bet against Silva at this point, but Weidman could conceivably defeat the Brazilian, and anyone discounting his chances for victory are underestimating him. As the sport, and the UFC, stand at this moment, Weidman is one of the few guys on the planet that could give the Spider a run for his money, if not beat him outright.
Whether that would happen remains to be seen, but hopefully it will be, and sooner rather than later.
If you are disappointed that this article doesn’t provide you with a committed prediction (it’s too hypothetical, too far down the road) to annihilate, I apologize.
Still, I will provide you with this parting projection that you may make of what you will: Silva should fight Weidman, and if he does, win, lose or draw, Weidman will be the toughest challenge he has faced as a UFC champion.
You can say that he doesn’t have the credentials to deserve this praise, but credentials are not about the past, they are about the future, and Chris Weidman is the future. A fight with Silva would only tell whether the future remains distant, or has become imminent.
Hat tip to MMAfighting.com for breaking the UFC 150 Q&A into highlights.
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