You know “all the pros” that Dana White says are picking Chris Weidman to dethrone Anderson Silva? Well, you can go ahead and add Frankie Edgar to the list.
Last week, White claimed during a media scrum that “All the pros, when you talk to all the fighters – every fighter out there that I’ve talked too, that we’ve interviewed, thinks Weidman is going to beat him [Silva].”
The UFC president didn’t give any names, however, aside from welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
On June 19, one more high-profile fighter—Edgar—added himself to that mysterious list of “every fighter out there,” discussing the UFC 162 headliner during a live chat on UFC.com.
When asked by fan Tim Melvin, “who will win: silva or weidman?” Edgar responded:
Gotta go with the East Coast boy Weidman. He’s the whole package. Anderson has fought good wrestlers, but Chris has got great jiu-jitsu and a solid standup game as well.
Of course, we’ve heard it all before. This next fighter is the one that poses stylistic problems for Silva. The next one will take him down and submit him. The next one is the end of his reign.
And all Silva does is keep winning.
But there is a collective feeling shared by many—not all, many—heading into UFC 162 that Weidman poses a real threat to Silva, and that this isn’t just another turn of the wheel.
With NCAA Division I All-American honors for wrestling, ADCC grappling experience and a striking game that has come a long way, Weidman certainly looks to be the real deal despite limited experience. His considerable accolades and past performances have garnered attention not just among fans, but among his colleagues, adding authority to his position as a contender.
So what do you think? Does Silva cruise to another convincing win, or do pros like St-Pierre and Edgar have you believing in Weidman?
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