UFC 162 headliner Chris Weidman participated in an edition of UFC Ultimate Insider’s Full Blast, providing live commentary as Anderson Silva fought Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153 in October.
“Everybody’s on their feet now in Brazil, it’s gonna get nuts,” Weidman said about the Rio de Janeiro crowd. “I’m hoping that it takes more than just one of Anderson Silva’s tricky shots to put Bonnar away.”
Silva made it 16 in a row inside the Octagon in front of an adoring home crowd, but that doesn’t mean “The American Psycho” didn’t give it his best shot to win the fight.
Bonnar took the fight to the pound-for-pound great, throwing combinations and looking for takedowns from the opening bell.
Weidman commended the original Ultimate Fighter runner-up for putting the pressure on the middleweight champ, taking a page out of the Chael Sonnen playbook.
“This is gonna tire out Anderson Silva, Bonnar has a big size advantage, so if he leans all that weight on him, eventually Anderson Silva’s gonna get a little more tired,” he said regarding Bonnar‘s strategy to keep Silva pinned against the cage.
Bonnar, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, tried on several occasions to bring the fight to the floor, but Silva’s takedown defense was just too much for him to overcome.
“This is what Anderson’s best at: getting his opponents’ heads and making them feel like they have nothing for him,” Weidman said after Silva was showboating to avoid strikes from Bonnar.
However, the upcoming title challenger was quick to once again sing the praises of the grizzled American fighter:
“I think he’s (Bonnar) winning this round, he’s had him (Silva) on the cage this whole time.”
Despite the observation he made moments earlier, the undefeated prospect didn’t appear surprised when “The Spider” finished the fight with a brutal knee to the body, followed up with hard ground and pound.
“I think Bonnar…I think he gave his best, but Anderson was the better man. That being said, I’d love a shot at Anderson Silva. I think I could take him down and submit him. I got into this sport, went into the middleweight division knowing Anderson Silva was there…I cannot wait to get my hands on him.
After a perfect 9-0 start to his MMA career, “The All-American” will get his shot at Silva and the middleweight gold this Saturday at UFC 162, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.
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