Tag: Chris Weidman

Chris Weidman Thinks Anderson Silva Is Ducking Him: Brazilian Fans on His Side

Chris Weidman came as close to boiling over as the affable UFC middleweight could ever come to boiling over, after Kimura.se asked him about his potential championship fight against Anderson Silva—a fight that looks increasingly unlikely for the …

Chris Weidman came as close to boiling over as the affable UFC middleweight could ever come to boiling over, after Kimura.se asked him about his potential championship fight against Anderson Silva—a fight that looks increasingly unlikely for the foreseeable future.

Weidman believes that Brazilian fans are largely on his side and share his frustration that Silva is doing everything he can to avoid the 185-pound threat: especially after the champion recently said that he’s not going to fight again until the end of 2013.

“Not [just] a couple of them but a lot [of Brazilians want to see me beat Silva],” Weidman said. “A good majority of them, which is freaking weird, cos I’m figuring I’m coming here confident that I can beat Anderson, came out in the public thinking I can beat him, pretty much the ducking me thing, so I’m thinking like they’re going to be hating me, when actually it’s the opposite.”

Weidman has been a revelation as a middleweight, mounting an undefeated nine-fight winning streak culminating in back to back victories over Demian Maia and Mark Munoz—two men once considered No. 1 contenders in their own right.

His emphatic victory over Munoz in July, in particular, caught everyone’s attention, including promotion president Dana White, and the New York native was quickly being talked about regarding a title shot.

However, over the last six months, the 185 pounds division has become increasingly crowded, and Weidman has found himself contending with several men also making compelling cases to be given a chance at Silva’s crown.

But what Weidman has over the likes of Alan Belcher, Michael Bisping or Tim Boetsch, is the kind of wrestling that even schooled NCAA Division 1 champion Munoz. And wrestling, as we’ve seen in Silva’s fight against Chael Sonnen, is the Brazilian champ’s Achilles heel.

Weidman has all Sonnen’s technique and athleticism but with added power in his hands. It’s not surprising then that Silva isn’t in any hurry to fight him, particularly since he has so little to gain but so much to lose.

“I’m an Anderson Silva fan and I always love to watch the guy fight, but it was disappointing when i heard the news at first because I’m the number one contender in the weight class and he said he didn’t want to fight in 2013 when it was blatantly obvious that we should be fighting… and now he’s talking about going against GSP,” said a frustrated Weidman.

The fighter, who trains with Matt Serra out in Long Island believes that he took a lot of risks to get to where he is in the UFC, taking a series of short-notice fights in his career. But, he conceded, if anyone has earned the right to dictate what fights he takes, it’s Silva.

“The guy’s accomplished so much. So, I understand, it’s just tough for me to deal with because I want to be the guy to beat him and now he’s fighting one of these other guys, so we’ll see.”

Weidman is due to fight Tim Boetsch at UFC 155 at the end of the year on a main card headlined by a title fight between heavyweights Junior Dos Santos and Cain Velasquez.

There he will join several other middleweights fighting for contention, including Belcher, Yushin Okami and Chris Leben. The aftermath of that night will be very intriguing for the state of the division, but with Silva not wanting to fight again until the end of 2013, what any of these men will be fighting for is anybody’s guess.

“After that fight, if I’m able to beat Tim Boetsch, which is not going to be easy, it’ll be three top five guys in a row I’ve beaten. I think that sets a record for not getting the championship,” said Weidman. “By beating two top five, now beating three top five, and then if I was to beat Bisping, that’s four top fives, I might as well just forget about the belt at this point.”

A despondent Weidman concedes that his goal of being the first man to beat Silva, which seemed so real only four months ago, is now more distant than ever.

Weidman’s fight against Boetsch goes down on December 29 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

 

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[VIDEO] Chris Weidman Gives Us a Tour of His Long Island Home Post-Hurricane Sandy


(We can’t be the only ones seeing the metaphorical connection here, right?) 

Less than a week ago, Hurricane Sandy blew through the Northeast like the seventh plague of Egypt, leaving over 40,000 New Yorkers alone without a home to go back to. One of the people we originally reported to be among the homeless was UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman, whose house was “lost in the storm” according to a tweet sent out by UFC light heavyweight Ryan Bader.

And although it turns out that the damage wasn’t as bad as we reported (his house is still standing for starters), it will still be weeks, if not months, before Weidman’s home is deemed livable again. Luckily for us, Weidman was generous enough to give MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani a tour of his home and the surrounding damage and even managed to capture some footage of his house as the storm was progressing. Pretty captivating stuff.

Video after the jump. 


(We can’t be the only ones seeing the metaphorical connection here, right?) 

Less than a week ago, Hurricane Sandy blew through the Northeast like the seventh plague of Egypt, leaving over 40,000 New Yorkers alone without a home to go back to. One of the people we originally reported to be among the homeless was UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman, whose house was “lost in the storm” according to a tweet sent out by UFC light heavyweight Ryan Bader.

And although it turns out that the damage wasn’t as bad as we reported (his house is still standing for starters), it will still be weeks, if not months, before Weidman’s home is deemed livable again. Luckily for us, Weidman was generous enough to give MMAFighting’s Ariel Helwani a tour of his home and the surrounding damage and even managed to capture some footage of his house as the storm was progressing. Pretty captivating stuff.

Video after the jump. 

Being the impossibly nice guy that Weidman is, he makes sure to inform Helwani that he actually made out a lot better than many of his neighbors. In case he hadn’t nailed that point home, Weidman gives us a tour of the surrounding area (24:00), which looks like a cheesesteak cart post-Hurricane Christie [RIMSHOT]. And hey, Weidman even ended up with a free basketball hoop for his troubles. Like we said, dude’s blessed.

Strikeforce heavyweight Gian Villante makes an appearance around the 22 minute mark to lend his help (and his trousers) to his fellow Long Islander. But even then, Weidman just has to throw a jab out there about Villante claiming to be a “UFC fighter” when he’s still stuck in Strikeforce purgatory. Don’t worry, Gian, that tragedy will also be over soon.

Were any of you Taters hit hard by Sandy? Light up a stogie and tell us your war stories in the comments section.

–J. Jones

Fact: Chris Weidman is Having a Shittier Hurricane Sandy Than You


(Don’t worry, we shall have our revenge on this murderous ocean.) 

While there’s little doubt that a lot of us East-Coasters are currently comparing scars in relation to Hurricane Sandy Vagina’s rampage through our respective towns (I spent most of my day bailing water out of my car here in Dorchester and my brother’s roof in Upstate NY was completely destroyed, in case you were wondering), if you are able to read this right now then you are likely much better off than UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman. Because according to Ryan Bader’s Twitter account, Weidman’s New York City home was completely destroyed by the storm today:

Thankfully, no one from Weidman’s family was injured in the incident, which is unfortunately not the case for many families throughout the East coast. We here at CagePotato would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to the Weidman family and every family that is currently struggling to deal with the impact of Sandy, and also thank you readers for checking in on us when many of you probably have a lot more pertinent issues at hand.

Now head over to Chris Weidman’s Twitter and lend him your support, won’t you?

–J. Jones


(Don’t worry, we shall have our revenge on this murderous ocean.) 

While there’s little doubt that a lot of us East-Coasters are currently comparing scars in relation to Hurricane Sandy Vagina’s rampage through our respective towns (I spent most of my day bailing water out of my car here in Dorchester and my brother’s roof in Upstate NY was completely destroyed, in case you were wondering), if you are able to read this right now then you are likely much better off than UFC middleweight contender Chris Weidman. Because according to Ryan Bader’s Twitter account, Weidman’s New York City home was completely destroyed by the storm today:

Thankfully, no one from Weidman’s family was injured in the incident, which is unfortunately not the case for many families throughout the East coast. We here at CagePotato would like to extend our thoughts and prayers to the Weidman family and every family that is currently struggling to deal with the impact of Sandy, and also thank you readers for checking in on us when many of you probably have a lot more pertinent issues at hand.

Now head over to Chris Weidman’s Twitter and lend him your support, won’t you?

–J. Jones

Anderson Silva Will Face Michael Bisping Before Chris Weidman, As World Continues Spiral Into Insanity [VIDEO]

(Props: AXS TV Fights)

It’s time to admit to ourselves, once and for all, that Anderson Silva isn’t the kind of champion we’d like him to be. After thoroughly conquering the middleweight division, fans assumed that the logical next step for the Greatest UFC Fighter of All Time would be to take more competitive matches against the elite in the light-heavyweight division. Of course, that’s not happening. Silva clearly has an agenda in the final stage of his career, and it doesn’t involve fighting non-superstars, or 205-pound phenoms who actually have a chance of beating him.

As Silva’s manager Ed Soares reiterates in this clip from Inside MMA, Anderson wants to fight UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre next, at a suggested catchweight of 177.5. And after that…well…Michael Bisping, maybe? The idea that Anderson Silva would fight Jon Jones is immediately dismissed by Soares, and the name Chris Weidman — remember him? the UFC’s actual #1 middleweight contender? — isn’t even mentioned.


(Props: AXS TV Fights)

It’s time to admit to ourselves, once and for all, that Anderson Silva isn’t the kind of champion we’d like him to be. After thoroughly conquering the middleweight division, fans assumed that the logical next step for the Greatest UFC Fighter of All Time would be to take more competitive matches against the elite in the light-heavyweight division. Of course, that’s not happening. Silva clearly has an agenda in the final stage of his career, and it doesn’t involve fighting non-superstars, or 205-pound phenoms who actually have a chance of beating him.

As Silva’s manager Ed Soares reiterates in this clip from Inside MMA, Anderson wants to fight UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre next, at a suggested catchweight of 177.5. And after that…well…Michael Bisping, maybe? The idea that Anderson Silva would fight Jon Jones is immediately dismissed by Soares, and the name Chris Weidman — remember him? the UFC’s actual #1 middleweight contender? — isn’t even mentioned.

Over the weekend, we explained how Michael Bisping’s latest demands for a title shot are, shall we say, a little premature, considering his current one-fight win streak. But we’ve clearly arrived at a new moment in the UFC, where “deserve” ain’t got nothin’ to do with it, and the biggest criteria for booking title fights is short-term profitability.

Bisping is a well-known heel who will obviously create more heat than a soft-spoken up-and-comer. The Count might get his title shot after one more win, or he might get his title shot without one more win, but as long as the Silva camp continues to select opponents with no regard to who’s next in line or what the fans actually want to see, I think we can all start calling Michael Bisping the UFC’s #1 middleweight contender, especially since phrases like “UFC #1 contender” don’t mean shit anymore. God help us.

Lack of Perspective Alert: Michael Bisping is Asking For a Title Shot Again, For Some Reason


(Rampage and Bisping might want to start running the things they are about to say out loud by more people than one another)

Let’s just dive right in, nation. UFC middleweight and all around centered and nice guy Michael Bisping recently spoke with MMA Junkie and had some pretty silly things to say. “I’m tired. I know I’ve got to wait my turn, but it’s pissing me off. I want to get my title shot, and if I keep beating guys, they’ll have no choice but to give it to me,” he told Junkie.

“I’m here, and I’m fighting the best guys. I want my shot.”

Bisping has undoubtedly fought some of the best fighters in the world, but he still doesn’t seem to realize that he needs to beat some of them in order to deserve a title shot. At present, ‘The Count’ has a brand new streak of exactly one, count em, one wins.


(Rampage and Bisping might want to start running the things they are about to say out loud by more people than one another)

Let’s just dive right in, nation. UFC middleweight and all around centered and nice guy Michael Bisping recently spoke with MMA Junkie and had some pretty silly things to say. “I’m tired. I know I’ve got to wait my turn, but it’s pissing me off. I want to get my title shot, and if I keep beating guys, they’ll have no choice but to give it to me,” he told Junkie.

“I’m here, and I’m fighting the best guys. I want my shot.”

Bisping has undoubtedly fought some of the best fighters in the world, but he still doesn’t seem to realize that he needs to beat some of them in order to deserve a title shot. At present, ‘The Count’ has a brand new streak of exactly one, count em, one wins.

For contrast, the actual number one contender to Anderson Silva‘s middleweight title – Chris Weidman – is undefeated and has a five fight win streak in the UFC. Bisping’s most recent win was a razor-thin decision over Brian Stann that could have easily been scored for the American.

Prior to that, Bisping lost to Chael Sonnen, who himself at the time was just 5-4 in the UFC. Bisping has been downright lucky in winning some of his biggest fights. He cheated repeatedly against Jorge Rivera and could have been disqualified if Rivera hadn’t been such a soldier and insisted on trying to fight through Bisping’s cheap shots.

Bisping was also awarded one of the worst decisions in recent years when he fought Matt Hamill. Despite having his overall record cushioned by gift wins and never having won a marquee fight, Bisping continues to complain about a title shot that only he and oddly complicit certain members of the media seem to think he deserves.

We can’t blame Bisping for having confidence in himself and trying to reach the pinnacle of the sport he loves, but he should consider making his argument in the cage and not in interviews. Right now, Weidman is the only guy that should be a tad upset that Anderson Silva is avoiding challengers in the middleweight division while he chases super fights with Georges St. Pierre and Jon Jones.

– Elias Cepeda

 

Anderson Silva on Weidman: ‘I Don’t Have Any Intention of Fighting with Him’

Apparently, Anderson Silva has chosen to take ultimately meaningless one-off “super fights” rather than defend his title against legitimate and dangerous middleweight opponents like Chris Weidman. Weidman has pulverized his way through the upper e…

Apparently, Anderson Silva has chosen to take ultimately meaningless one-off “super fights” rather than defend his title against legitimate and dangerous middleweight opponents like Chris Weidman. 

Weidman has pulverized his way through the upper echelon of the middle weight division and, to many, is considered the No. 1 or—at the very least—the No. 2 contender in the division, but UFC middle weight champ Anderson Silva doesn’t care.

“I don’t have any intention of fighting with him,” Silva told UFC Tonight. “I still think he has a lot to do in the UFC…I am 37 years old, he’s a kid that is starting. Obviously, this might happen, but I have two fights on my contract and I think one of them will be with [Georges] St. Pierre and I don’t really have any intention in fighting with him because I’m not a fool. I’m already an oldie, you know?”

When interviewed by famed MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, Weidman maintained his polite, laconic demeanor despite being obviously frustrated that a title shot doesn’t seem to be coming his way any time soon. 

“It sucks. I took a lot of risks in my career to get to the point where I’m a No. 1 contender. Then for the champion—who’s the man and I have nothing bad to say about him—to start kind of dodging me a little bit, it’s tough.”

When prompted by Helwani about employing the infamous “ducking” terminology, Weidman didn’t shy away from it. 

“I don’t know. It seems like that at this point, to tell you the truth,” he said.

Whatever verbiage you care to use, the absolute fact of the matter is that Anderson Silva is choosing not to fight the most dangerous claimant to his title in Chris Weidman—spin that whichever way you choose.

 

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