It was a rough night for Anderson Silva at UFC 162.
The longest reigning champion in UFC history lost his title in dramatic fashion after dropping his hands and daring opponent Chris Weidman to hit him.
Weidman took full advantage and uncorked two left hands—one that wobbled Silva and one that knocked him out.
Now Silva sits without a title for the first time in his UFC career since he debuted in a non-title fight back in 2006. Following the loss, Silva said that he was moving past title fights and didn’t have much interest in a second fight with Weidman.
UFC president Dana White isn’t buying Silva’s statement long-term.
He believes once Silva goes home, re-watches the fight and feels the sting of the defeat, he’ll be burning to get back in the cage with Weidman a second time.
“Nobody wants to lose. He doesn’t know how to lose, he doesn’t remember how to lose, it’s been too long since he lost. This one’s going to sink in a couple days after,” White explained after UFC 162 concluded. “Like I said, the first thing I hear when we walk in is somebody thinks it’s a fix and all the stupid s—t that people are going to say will start to drive somebody crazy.
“Everybody knows, I know, everybody knows he’s going to want the rematch.”
With this event still fresh, White didn’t want to lock down at timeline for a second fight between Weidman and Silva, but he has a few ideas. The first one off the top of his head involves a major show headed to New Jersey on February 1, 2014, as part of Super Bowl XLVIII weekend.
The UFC is planning a major pay-per-view event for that night that will work in coordination with their broadcast partners at Fox who will air the Super Bowl on the next night from MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
White thinks a rematch between Weidman and Silva would be the perfect main event for their show that will take place at the Prudential Center one night before the Super Bowl.
“How about Super Bowl Saturday in New Jersey?” White asked. “Just thinking off the top of my head here.”
As much as Silva protested on Saturday night, White is positive the rematch will happen, it just may take the former middleweight king a little time to realize what he wants exactly. Every fighter reacts to a loss differently, so White expects Silva to take some time off, and even if it takes him a few months, he’s sure he will come around and want the rematch.
As far as the rest of the middleweight division goes, White says they are going to have to wait until Weidman vs. Silva 2 happens.
Current top-five middleweight contender Vitor Belfort immediately took to Twitter after the Silva vs. Weidman fight ended asking for the first shot at the new champion.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter much what Belfort wants or how he asks for it because White says it’s not going to happen.
“Anderson Silva has gone undefeated since 2006, has beat everybody and held the title. He deserves the rematch. Chris Weidman said that before he even fought him. Vitor’s just going to have to wait, he’s not getting the rematch,” White said.
“He can text, he can tweet, he can write f—king letters, he can call his Congressman, he can do whatever he wants to do. He’s going to have to wait. Anderson Silva’s getting the rematch.”
Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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