Another day, another fighter writing a column.
UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman defends his title to Vitor Belfort May 23 at UFC 187, but he’s still talking about another Brazilian.
Weidman famously snatched the long-held middleweight strap from former champion Anderson Silva with a KO at UFC 162 in 2013. Weidman went on to beat Silva again at UFC 168 when the Brazilian snapped his leg in the second round.
“I wish his leg didn’t break,” Weidman writes for The Player’s Tribune. “It’s not the way I’d like to finish a fight. I know there’s no way Anderson Silva could ever beat me, but it still bothers me that it ended that way.”
Silva won’t likely be fighting anytime soon, but Weidman wouldn’t be interested anyhow.
“I wouldn’t even be excited for a third fight against Silva,” says Weidman. “After winning those two fights and having beaten Lyoto Machida to defend the middleweight title since, I need competition. And today, it’s clear to everyone what I’ve known to be true all along: Anderson Silva will never beat me.”
Looking to the future, Weidman still sounds like he has plenty left to prove at middleweight.
“The competitor in me instantly searches for new goals,” says Weidman. “Now, I want to clear out my weight class. I want to demolish the next guy, and the next guy and the next guy. I want to beat all the fighters people think I can’t beat. I want to retire undefeated. It just doesn’t end.
“Which brings me to my current focus: I want to completely dominate Vitor Belfort on Saturday. I want to make a statement and let everybody know that I’m head and shoulders above everybody else — that I dominate this weight.”
Weidman faces Belfort in the co-main event at UFC 187 May 23 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
5 MUST-READ STORIES
‘I’ve shared blood, sweat and tears with that guy.’ Travis Browne considers Andrei Arlovski his ‘f—— hero,’ but business is business. ‘When he fought Anthony Johnson, in between rounds, I went over and picked his tooth up off the mat because he broke his jaw.’
‘This is a girl with very few genuine friends.’ Cris Cyborg says she’s gotten to the point where she ‘feels sorry’ for UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. ‘I mean, the UFC practically had to beg fighters to congratulate her on Twitter for making the cover of Sports Illustrated.’
‘You’re in a pissing contest.’ UFC commentator Joe Rogan says ‘It doesn’t make sense’ for Dana White to call Brendan Schaub a liar about how much money he makes from sponsors.
Signal to Noise. Luke Thomas gives you the best and worst of UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Faber.
Awful. Former PRIDE veteran Alexander Emelianenko sentenced to 4.5 years in jail on sexual assault conviction.
MEDIA STEW
UFC 187 Embedded episodes 1&2.
Nice pre-fight vlog with Daniel Cormier.
Mike Swick’s UFC 189 vlog.
Belfort’s top five KO’s.
Pros predict Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort.
DC is a massive Boyz II Men fan.
Long watches.
UFC 187: Unibet’s Inside The Octagon
…
TWEETS
#bringburtback
Just found out that UFC hired 8 people instead @BurtWatson4real , to do his job. WOW @ufc
— khabib nurmagomedov (@TeamKhabib) May 19, 2015
I really hope to see @BurtWatson4real back where he belongs @UFC… Us fighters love you Burt Watson..best in the business #bringBurtback RT
— Efrain Escudero (@effyescudero) May 19, 2015
@UriahHallMMA @BurtWatson4real It’s just not the same
— ‘Rowdy’ Bec Rawlings (@RowdyBec) May 20, 2015
Close one.
@mousasi_mma @ufc ME!!
— Dana White (@danawhite) May 19, 2015
@mousasi_mma @ufc LMFAO, I said see u fight in Japan NOT fight u in Japan!!!
— Dana White (@danawhite) May 19, 2015
@mousasi_mma awesome, let me figure it out
— Dana White (@danawhite) May 19, 2015
Real sports.
Preview from my @RealSportsHBO interview: https://t.co/QDe3rcEzdi. Tune-In to @HBO tonight at 10pm to watch the complete interview!
— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) May 19, 2015
Political.
Myself and my team are urging everyone to please VOTE YES TO EQUALITY! Every human deserves equal rights #WeAreAllOne pic.twitter.com/PbyTXNHzKQ
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 19, 2015
Yeesh.
@philbaroni I’ve been ignoring u for a while. I’m gonna be real with you and the public right now then I’m gonna go back to ignoring u.
— Joe Schilling (@JoeSchilling187) May 19, 2015
@philbaroni I considered fighting u so I went back and looked up your old videos. I didn’t realize how articulate u sounded back then.
— Joe Schilling (@JoeSchilling187) May 19, 2015
@philbaroni fast forward to the last few years and you’re speech is severely slurred. I couldn’t understand what U were saying, no one could
— Joe Schilling (@JoeSchilling187) May 19, 2015
@philbaroni As a fellow fighter it’s time for u to retire. Your going to get seriously hurt & make the promotion & sport look bad.
— Joe Schilling (@JoeSchilling187) May 19, 2015
@philbaroni ps NOBODY with @BellatorMMA @spike @ScottCoker @GLORY_WS has any interest at all in watching ME fight u.
— Joe Schilling (@JoeSchilling187) May 19, 2015
Congrats.
Big Congrats to @marcgoddard_uk on his British BJJ open win. Way to go Brother, proud of you
— Big John McCarthy (@JohnMcCarthyMMA) May 19, 2015
Interested?
I am ready too 🙂 https://t.co/2mcfiBfFKJ
— Marcin Held (@MarcinHeld) May 19, 2015
You think you are but your really not… you’ll never really be ready to fight me https://t.co/pexBxMCVUW
— Will Brooks (@illwillbrooks86) May 19, 2015
Is Cain doing THIS?
Fazendo pescoço depois do treino! #happyface #caradecavalo #mishuevos #redot #mhp #thebesttaste… https://t.co/HelHzqNqmy
— Fabricio Werdum (@FabricioWerdum) May 20, 2015
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Announced yesterday (May 19 2015)
Wendell Oliveira vs. T.J. Waldburger at UFC Fight Night: Alves vs. Condit
Yan Cabral out, K.J. Noons vs. Alex Oliveira at UFC Fight Night: Alves vs. Condit
Found something you’d like to see in the Morning Report? Just hit me up on Twitter @SaintMMA and we’ll include it in tomorrow’s column.