It’s been just over three days since Chris Weidman won the UFC middleweight title in stunning fashion after knocking out Anderson Silva at UFC 162. But he’s not sitting back and enjoying the spoils of war just yet.
Weidman has been on a media tour for the UFC following the win, and there is still plenty to talk about with the knockout heard ’round the world. Wednesday’s stop was “The Jim Rome Show,” where Weidman once again rehashed how the knockout happened, and, more interestingly, answered the theory that his fight with Silva was fixed from the get-go.
As improbable as it may have seemed that Silva lost for the first time in seven years, the credit goes to Weidman for scoring the knockout the way he did. He laughed at the idea of a fixed fight and just chalks the idea up to conspiracy theorists who can’t quite accept that Silva would or could lose.
“That’s a joke,” Weidman said about the idea of a fixed fight. “If he was going to lose on purpose, I don’t think he would choose to be getting knocked out by me. Especially the way it happened, bouncing his head off the canvas. He probably would have submitted when I had him in a keep kneebar or in a heel hook in the first round and just tapped and been OK. That’s just ridiculous.”
Weidman understands that going into the fight, Silva was the MMA equivalent of Michael Jordan or Muhammed Ali, and no one really wanted to believe he’d lose, much less get knocked out.
“He’s known as the greatest of all time. He’s like a mythical creature to people. Just the thought of me saying I thought I could beat him before the fight, people were furious,” said the new 29-year-old champ. “They could not believe I had the balls to think I could beat the guy. They think that he’s inhuman and unbeatable. So I understand that some people are thinking there’s no way he could have just lost, no way, the fight had to be fixed. Well, welcome to reality.”
Now that the fight has settled in for a few days, Weidman’s celebration will be short-lived because he knew going into the bout that, should he win, a rematch would quickly be on the horizon.
He even said in the weeks leading up to the fight that the moment he was done beating Silva, he would gladly sign a contract for a rematch. To prove he was better than the greatest of all time, Weidman knew he would have to beat him twice.
While no definitive plans are in place right now, Weidman is targeting the end of 2013 or early 2014 for the second bout against Silva.
“Before this fight, I said I was going to finish him and said we’re going to have an immediate rematch because he’s known as the greatest of all time. He’s not going to have to work himself up the ladder again, and I’m right,” Weidman said. “The only thing I got wrong was I said I wanted it in Madison Square Garden, and, so, it’s still not legal in New York, unfortunately.”
“We’re having a rematch December or February, not sure when yet. I think it (will) be one of the greatest fights—one of the biggest fights—of all time.”
Immediately after the fight, Silva was very noncommittal about a rematch with Weidman, saying that his time competing for titles was done. All along, UFC president Dana White said it would just take some time and Silva would come right back around to the realization that he lost the belt and would want a second shot at Weidman.
It appears White was right on the money.
“He wants it,” Weidman said about Silva’s desire for a rematch. “That’s right after his bell’s been rung, and I’m sure it was surreal for him. He just lost for the first time in seven years, he got knocked out, and that’s something he has a lot of pride in is his stand-up and having a good chin. His mind wasn’t in the right place when he’s doing an interview. We’re doing a rematch.”
First up for Chris Weidman is a trip to the doctor on Monday for an MRI on his knee and possible arthroscopic surgery that would put him on the shelf for about two or three weeks. After that, Weidman says he’d be ready to go in three months time to give Silva the rematch, except this time, he’ll be entering the fight as the champion instead of as the challenger.
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report
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