Tag: Chris Weidman

Chris Weidman Not Going to “Cry” If He Doesn’t Get a Title Shot

The grey clouds have suddenly parted for UFC middleweight Chris Weidman. On Friday, he was just another injured fighter looking on at a division which has been shaking out without him, wondering when his time would come to fight for the belt. On Sunday…

The grey clouds have suddenly parted for UFC middleweight Chris Weidman. On Friday, he was just another injured fighter looking on at a division which has been shaking out without him, wondering when his time would come to fight for the belt. On Sunday, he suddenly became the No. 1 contender.

Michael Bisping’s failure to get past Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 7 on Saturday has thrown the door open for Weidman to get the shot.

The New York native spoke to Ariel Helwani on thee MMA Hour about the turn of events.

“Yeah I think it’s pretty funny how it works,” said Weidman. “You have people who say that I don’t deserve a shot, that I just fought a fat Mark Munoz, and now everything has cleared for me.”

Since Anderson Silva’s victory over Chael Sonnen in July last year, no clear frontrunner has emerged to challenge the Brazilian’s six-year reign as champion. Both Bisping and Weidman were being talked about as possible opponents: Bisping for his long and accomplished career in the UFC, and Weidman for his superlative performance against the aforementioned Munoz in his last fight.

In the end, both men were given one more opponent to face. But because Weidman injured himself before his fight against Tim Boetsch in Decemebr, Bisping jumped to the front.

Weidman believes that the British fighter’s loss on Saturday now clearly makes him the No. 1 contender. He told Helwani that he’s ready to face Silva.

“If I had to choose, I’d chose to fight Silva, but I don’t know what [UFC president] Dana [White] wants to do with the middleweight division…” he said. “And I don’t know if Anderson Silva be interested.”

Many consider Weidman as the likeliest fighter to dethrone Silva, who has gone undefeated in 17 fights.

The American’s vicious style of wrestling is something Silva has been shown to have problems with, and Weidman is convinced that makes him a bad matchup for the Brazilian.

“I beat him in a lot of areas and I don’t think he’s faced anyone like me before,” he said. “But I think there’s a lot of reasons he doesn‘t want to fight me. There’s a lot of risk for little reward, that’s on his mind.”

With no announcement yet from the UFC as to who will face Silva next, Weidman says that he isn’t going to “cry” if that man isn’t him.

“My goal is to be champion, and I want to fight Anderson Silva… That’s the fight I really want and I’d love to take it but it’s going to be up to them… I’m not going to start saying Silva is a chicken and he’s scared of me.”

He added that he would be happy to take on Luke Rockhold, the former Strikeforce champion who just joined the promotion, or Vitor Belfort, whose stock has been considerably raised with his win over Bisping.

For now, though, he is still recovering from an injury, and doesn’t expect to return to action until June.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC on FX 7 Results: Chris Weidman Wants Anderson Silva Fight This Summer

Suffering a shoulder injury in November may have been a blessing in disguise for UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman. Since then, fellow top 10 middleweights Tim Boetsch, Alan Belcher and now Michael Bisping have all lost, preventing a t…

Suffering a shoulder injury in November may have been a blessing in disguise for UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman. 

Since then, fellow top 10 middleweights Tim Boetsch, Alan Belcher and now Michael Bisping have all lost, preventing a true No. 1 contender from emerging at 185 pounds. 

The Serra-Longo Fight Team member feels that it is no coincidence that both he and middleweight champion Anderson Silva are looking to return to the Octagon this summer.

“The All-American” is a perfect 9-0 inside the cage, most recently scoring a vicious knockout over Mark Munoz at UFC on FUEL TV 4 this past July. 

UFC president Dana White said Bisping would get a title shot with a win over Vitor Belfort at UFC on FX 7 last night, but “The Phenom” clearly had other plans, scoring a vintage TKO finish in the second round.

Silva has been the most unstoppable champion in UFC history, successfully defending his belt 10 times while also boasting a perfect 16-0 record inside the UFC banner. 

However, Weidman‘s strong wrestling and submission game makes him an interesting matchup for “The Spider.”

Weidman has claimed before that Silva is ducking him. Is now the time to book this matchup given the recent developments in the middleweight division?

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Vitor Belfort vs Michael Bisping: 5 Fights for Belfort to Take Next

After defeating Michael Bisping in the main event of UFC on FX 7, Vitor Belfort took to the microphone to call for a rematch with Jon Jones, the 205-pound champion who dealt Belfort a beating at UFC 152.Is this is a sign that Vitor has his eyes on anot…

After defeating Michael Bisping in the main event of UFC on FX 7, Vitor Belfort took to the microphone to call for a rematch with Jon Jones, the 205-pound champion who dealt Belfort a beating at UFC 152.

Is this is a sign that Vitor has his eyes on another weight adjustment? Will he continue his campaign at 185 pounds, or is it back to light heavyweight for “The Phenom”?

For the time being, we’ll consider Vitor a middleweight. He throttled Bisping at 185 pounds, and I don’t expect to see an immediate move back to 205, considering the fact he’s highly unlikely to get another crack at Jones in the near future.

That leaves a handful of interesting opponents for Belfort. However, one you won’t see make this list is Anderson Silva.

I’m certain the world would love to watch another fight between these two, as the first encounter, at UFC 126, proved to be an exciting affair—for the three-and-a-half minutes it lasted.

Anderson tagged Belfort with a flush front kick to the chin and the fight was a wrap. It wasn’t exactly a competitive affair, and Vitor hasn’t done enough in recent memory to warrant another shot just yet.

So, scratch that idea right now.

Begin Slideshow

UFC: 3 Reasons to Be Very Excited About Jacare Souza

The UFC has absorbed Strikeforce’s most worthy fighters, creating a plethora of savory matchmaking possibilities for fans to salivate over.One particular Strikeforce transplant, however, has fans eagerly jumping into his UFC hype train. If MMA message …

The UFC has absorbed Strikeforce’s most worthy fighters, creating a plethora of savory matchmaking possibilities for fans to salivate over.

One particular Strikeforce transplant, however, has fans eagerly jumping into his UFC hype train. If MMA message boards reflect the MMA fan community, then this man is entering the UFC on the crest of a wave of hype and enthusiasm.  

I’m talking about alligator-man Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza. 

I’ve tried to temper my enthusiasm, but I find myself investing great hope into Souza’s future. He owns freakish physical abilities coupled with elite skills, a combination that has led many hardcore fans to predict that “Jacare” will haunt the dreams of UFC middleweights. 

The Brazilian ogre will be a terror, and there are many reasons to believe Souza will flourish and excite in the Octagon.

Scope out these reasons to be excited for “Jacare” and post your thoughts below:

Begin Slideshow

Jon Jones and the Five Fighters Who Could Dethrone Anderson Silva

Many pundits forget how Chael Sonnen produced the proverbial blueprint needed to dethrone pound-for-pound kingpin Anderson Silva in their first middleweight title fight at UFC 117 in August 2010. That’s probably because Silva made that performanc…

Many pundits forget how Chael Sonnen produced the proverbial blueprint needed to dethrone pound-for-pound kingpin Anderson Silva in their first middleweight title fight at UFC 117 in August 2010.

That’s probably because Silva made that performance an afterthought and solidified his status as the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighter when he finished Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami, Sonnen and Stephan Bonnar in succession following his Hail Mary triangle armbar on Sonnen late in the fifth round at UFC 117.

There also aren’t many experts chattering about how Sonnen dominated Silva in the first round of their second title fight at UFC 148 in July, and rightfully so. After all, Silva stormed back and smashed Sonnen in spectacular fashion, and at that point, that was all that mattered.

But the bullseye that’s been lingering around Anderson Silva’s back since he won the belt in 2006 has recently started to come into focus. Fighters who’ve been trained properly and who possess the physical and intellectual ingredients to challenge a legend like “The Spider” are lurking in the shadows.

Here’s a look at five fighters who possess all the required tools to knock off Silva, a man who hasn’t tasted defeat in 16 UFC fights.

Begin Slideshow

UFC: 5 Possible Opponents for Chris Weidman When He Returns

At the end of 2010, Chris Weidman was declared the No. 2 middleweight prospect on the planet, according to a scouting report from BloodyElbow.com. Fast forward two years and you’ll find that the Serra/Longo prodigy proudly sits with a 5-0 record i…

At the end of 2010, Chris Weidman was declared the No. 2 middleweight prospect on the planet, according to a scouting report from BloodyElbow.com. Fast forward two years and you’ll find that the Serra/Longo prodigy proudly sits with a 5-0 record inside the Octagon. It greatly compliments his 9-0 overall record as a professional and illustrates his status as a top contender in the UFC middleweight division.

When Weidman was forced from a scheduled bout against Tim Boetsch at UFC 155, it was due to a shoulder injury that would require surgery and keep him out of action for approximately six months.

The 28-year-old expects to return in late May or early June, and with a major middleweight battle taking place next weekend between Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort, it is important to look ahead and see how the division will shake out down the road.

Here is a look at five possible opponents for Chris Weidman upon his return.

Begin Slideshow