With two memorable, yet frustrating, title victories over a legendary Anderson Silva in 2013, current UFC middleweight king Chris Weidman has cashed in on an invaluable lottery ticket.
As a relatively new name to the sport with only 11 career professional fights to call his own, the 29-year-old New Yorker has fast-tracked to mixed martial arts stardom.
But with that stardom and ultimate recognition comes high-grade responsibility.
So when the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world and current UFC light heavyweight dynamo Jon “Bones” Jones suggests that a would-be-glorious superfight in the future may be in the cards, you need to take notice.
Well, Weidman has done just that, hinting toward a potential move up to 205 in a recent video interview with Matt Erickson and Peter Smith of MMA Junkie, originally reported by Zane Simon of Bloody Elbow:
Whatever the fans really want to see and whatever is the toughest challenge for me. Right now, the 85 pound division is exciting; there’s a lot of guys and a lot of matchups that people want to see me against. So, those are the fights I’m going to fight. But, if it comes to the point where 85 looks a little stale, I have no problem going to 205.
Weidman is currently slated to defend his middleweight crown opposite the resurgent Vitor Belfort in May at UFC 173, a fight in which “The All-American” has opened up as an early 2-1 favorite.
I want to clear out the middleweight division and then fight the best at 205 and show the world what I can do. Once I feel like I’m not loving it and I’m slowing down, that’s when I’ll stop. Hopefully, knock on wood, not one of those guys that are, you know, doing it for the wrong reasons towards the end and just trying to collect a paycheck and then getting knocked out every fight. So, hopefully I’m not ever there.
In any case, barring another title defense over another world-class Brazilian, Weidman still has much work to do as the middleweight torchbearer. Guys like Ronaldo Souza, Lyoto Machida, Luke Rockhold, Gegard Mousasi, Michael Bisping and even Silva still stand in his way.
But, man, a superfight with Jones would be something else, huh? Especially if it takes place at Madison Square Garden.
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