For far too long, Chris Weidman has been treated like a placeholder atop the middleweight division. Being the successor of arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history will do that to you.
Professional wrestling great “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair always said, “To be the man, you’ve got to beat the man”—a feat Weidman accomplished twice.
We all remember the lead up to UFC 162 in July 2013. Weidman was a sexy pick among MMA pundits, but the vast majority saw the NCAA Division I All-American wrestler as another nameless victim to add to Anderson Silva’s resume.
Opinions hardly changed after Weidman stunned the Las Vegas crowd with the left hook heard ’round the world, leaving Silva postured motionless in the Octagon. The talk around town predicated around “luck” and Silva’s boastful in-cage shenanigans.
Weidman was seen as a one-hit wonder, the Paula Abdul of the middleweight division. A refocused, rededicated Silva would prove it was all a fluke. Throw away all of the taunts and Michael Jackson dance moves.
There was no way in hell Silva could lose to Weidman twice, right?
Wrong.
Weidman left the MMA legend on his backside once again at UFC 168 in December 2013—this time holding a broken leg after going shin to knee on a blocked kick. But respect was still denied to the young lion. Rumblings of Silva being past his prime and over the hill clouded Weidman‘s Herculean feat.
If one Brazilian legend wasn’t enough, Weidman conquered two more in Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort. After defeating Belfort on Saturday UFC 187, he gave fight fans one final chance to join his team during his post-fight interview with UFC commentator Joe Rogan:
Hey, stop doubting me. It’s enough. Stop doubting me. You better join the team now. This is my last invitation. Join the team. I love you. I’m for real. I felt that after the Machida fight there was a good group of people that started following and there was believers. But with the time off, the haters just grew stronger and stronger, so I had to just come in here and do my thing again.
Weidman did his thing all too well against Belfort, surviving the initial flurry before wrestling the future Hall of Famer to the ground. Once the fight hit the floor, the ending of the UFC 187 co-main event played out as predictable as a B-movie.
Weidman pummeled the 38-year-old legend into submission with punches and elbows, forcing referee Herb Dean to step in and to call a halt to the action at 2:53 of the first round.
For those late to the party, there is still enough room aboard the Weidman bandwagon.
Put your doubts to rest. Silva’s successor has arrived, and he is every bit as talented as we hoped he would be.
No, he isn’t living in the Matrix like Silva, who made a career out of pulling off techniques you’d only see in movies. But Weidman has the ability to do some very special things at 185 pounds.
No man walks away with victories over Silva, Machida and Belfort without a story to tell. Whether you jump on the bandwagon or spit on the notion of Team Weidman, we can all at least agree the man has earned his respect.
Historically, doubt has never toiled on a three-hit wonder.
Jordy McElroy is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He also is the MMA writer for FanRag Sports and co-founder of The MMA Bros.
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