Add UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson to the growing list of active professional MMA fighters who believe Chris Weidman will be the one to end Anderson Silva’s reign atop the middleweight division this weekend. “Wonderboy” told Yahoo! Sports that …
Add UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson to the growing list of active professional MMA fighters who believe Chris Weidman will be the one to end Anderson Silva‘s reign atop the middleweight division this weekend.
“Wonderboy” told Yahoo! Sports that while he has trained with both Weidman and Silva, he truly believes that the undefeated prospect is ready for everything his Brazilian counterpart has to offer.
“Chris is a monster,” Thompson told Kevin Iole. “He’s known for a long time that he was going to fight Anderson, and he was definitely prepared for me when I got there. He used his game plan against me. Now, I’m a smaller weight, and so I’m faster, but he executed so well. I was there just to spar with him, to give him angles and be as fast as possible, and get him to see things that most guys don’t see in the cage: Spin kicks, side kicks, hook kicks, throwing punches from different angles. He had an answer for everything.”
After a long, successful kickboxing career, Thompson entered the sport of MMA in early 2010 and has compiled a 7-1 record, including a 2-1 mark inside the Octagon.
On the other hand, Weidman comes from a wrestling background, a two-time Division I All-American at Hofstra University.
Now also a brown belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, “The All-American” is a highly-respected grappler with a perfect 9-0 record inside the cage.
Echoing the sentiment of elite BJJ black belt Robert Drysdale, Thompson believes Weidman is a better version of two-time UFC middleweight title challenger, ChaelSonnen.
Sonnen took the fight to Silva at UFC 117 and UFC 148, respectively, having the most success out of any other 185-pound adversary in the UFC, but still ended up being finished on both occasions.
“Chris definitely has all the tools to beat Anderson Silva,” Thompson said. “His wrestling is way better [than Silva’s] and I think it’s better than ChaelSonnen‘s. I think his striking is better than Chael‘s.”
Thompson, who trained with Weidman as part of his fight camp for UFC 162, also feels that the Long Island native “won’t be beat mentally” by Silva before the bout begins.
Weidman has also received endorsements from welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, former 155-pound titleholder Frankie Edgar, ex-205-pound champ Rashad Evans and perennial featherweight contender Urijah Faber, to name a few.
Weidman is currently just a 2-to-1 underdog to Silva (via MMA Betting Odds), an incredible feat in itself considering “The Spider” is 16-0 in the UFC and has successfully defended his title a record-setting 10 times in a row.
JohnHeinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.
When Anderson Silva steps into the Octagon on July 6, he will be looking to break two records, two records that he already holds. If Silva manages to defeat Chris Weidman in UFC 162’s main event, he will extend his UFC winning streak to 17 consecutive …
When Anderson Silva steps into the Octagon on July 6, he will be looking to break two records, two records that he already holds. If Silva manages to defeat Chris Weidman in UFC 162‘s main event, he will extend his UFC winning streak to 17 consecutive fights, and his middleweight title defense streak to 11 consecutive defenses.
As a little reminder of how Silva got to where he is, what follows is a ranking of every UFC middleweight title fight Silva has been involved in to date.
We’re days away from UFC 162, a fight card that could result in a great deal of movement in the rankings of the featherweight and middleweight divisions. The five-fight main card will feature three middleweight bouts and two featherweight contests…
We’re days away from UFC 162, a fight card that could result in a great deal of movement in the rankings of the featherweight and middleweight divisions.
The five-fight main card will feature three middleweight bouts and two featherweight contests. Of the 10 fighters competing in these bouts, all but three are ranked in the top 10 in their division. A win for any of the three outside the rankings could easily put them “in the mix.”
The most important bout on the card, and the one that has been generating talk ever since it was officially announced, is the matchup between long-reigning UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and top-ranked contender Chris Weidman.
Many feel that age and the style of Weidman may spell the end of Silva’s record-setting reign atop the UFC’s 185-pound division. What do I think of that logic? Read on to find out, as I take a look at the odds and make my predictions for the UFC 162 main card.
Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman
John Updike once wrote of Ted Williams, “Greatness necessarily attracts debunkers, but in Williams’ case the hostility has been systematic and unappeasable.” Today, that phrase would be simplified to “haters gonna hate.”
What does this have to do with Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman? Simple, Silva has been so dominant for so long that fans want to see him fail; they want to believe that he’s not as good as everyone claims he is. Silva is the New York Yankees of mixed martial arts, someone who has been dominant for so long that many dislike him because of his success.
It’s my belief that it’s this kind of thinking that has fans putting a great deal of stock in Silva’s UFC 162 challenger, Chris Weidman.
I won’t deny that, at least on paper, Weidman possesses the tools to defeat Silva. He has a solid wrestling background and a good ground game, but he also has some strikes against him.
Weidman follows a pattern. He fights at distance, gets his opponent thinking strikes and then gains the takedown. From there, he transitions to side control and goes to work with submission attempts or ground-and-pound. That’s not something that will be lost on the analytical mind of Silva.
Weidman is also coming off a long layoff and a surgery. He last fought in July 2012, defeating Mark Munoz. That amount of time off will not help Weidman against the man who is arguably the greatest mixed martial artist in the history of the sport.
Another strike against Weidman is that the victory over Munoz is the biggest name fighter he has defeated. Weidman may have some impressive stylistic wins on his record, but the level of competition he has defeated pales in comparison to that of Silva’s.
There’s also the fact that Weidman has placed a huge amount of pressure on his own shoulders. If UFC President Dana White’s claims are true, Weidman is very, very confident heading into UFC 162. White has said, “He (Weidman) looked me right in the eye and said ‘I’m telling you, I apologize, but I’m going to f**k up all your superfights, but I’m going to win this fight. I’m going to f**k up all your superfights and be your next champion.’”
I don’t see it happening. Weidman, who holds a degree in psychology, has done a good job in talking himself into believing that he will be the next UFC middleweight champion, but the odds are against him.
Silva will walk out of the MGM Grand Garden Arena on July 6 with the UFC title in his hands. How will he win? Second-round TKO.
Odds: Anderson Silva -260, Chris Weidman +200
Frankie Edgar vs. Charles Oliveira
Frankie Edgar has not won a fight since defeating Gray Maynard in October 2011. Since that victory, he has dropped three straight, all UFC title fights, two to Benson Henderson and one to Jose Aldo. The losses moved his record to 15-4-1.
Charles Oliveira entered the UFC with a record of 12-0. His first two fights with the promotion were victories. After that, things got kind of rocky for Oliveira, as he went 2-3-0-1. His last outing was a knockout defeat to Cub Swanson, a fight where he also missed weight.
Both fighters will have something to prove in this bout. Edgar will be looking to show that he belongs as a top-ranked competitor in the UFC’s featherweight division. Oliveira will be looking to establish himself as a top-10 fighter and show that missing weight in his last fight was just a minor blip.
Oliveira has a solid submission game, evidenced by his memorable calf-slicer submission win over Eric Wisely, but that will be no match for the tenacity of Edgar, who has gone the five-round distance in six of his last seven fights.
Edgar wins via unanimous decision.
Odds: Frankie Edgar -550, Charles Oliveira +375
Tim Kennedy vs. Roger Gracie
The UFC’s middleweight division rankings could really see some upheaval following UFC 162. Two fighters who are currently out of the top 10 but could break into the rankings with an impressive performance are Tim Kennedy and Roger Gracie.
Kennedy comes into this fight 3-2 in his last five with his only losses being unanimous-decision defeats in Strikeforce middleweight title bouts. Gracie is 6-1 in his MMA career, with his only loss being a first-round knockout to Muhammed Lawal.
Kennedy will have the advantage in the striking department, but I think Gracie will have learned a lesson from the King Mo knockout, and that could be a problem for Kennedy.
The other X-factor that could tilt this fight in Gracie’s favor is that he has a pronounced height and reach advantage over Kennedy.
This is a tough one to call. Gracie has not looked overwhelming in his short MMA career, but his ground skills are hard to deny, and I think that’s how he takes this one, handing Kennedy the first submission defeat of his career. And that submission will come in the second round.
Odds: Tim Kennedy -150, Roger Gracie +120
Mark Munoz vs. Tim Boetsch
The winner of the Tim Kennedy vs. Roger Gracie bout could end up ranked in the top 10 of the middleweight division, and that spot could become available via the loser of the Mark Munoz vs. Tim Boetsch contest.
Munoz is currently eighth in the division while Boetsch is 10th. Both of these fighters are coming off losses: Munoz falling to Chris Weidman via second-round knockout in July 2012, and Boetsch losing to Costa Philippou in December. The losses derailed the title-shot hopes of both combatants.
Munoz recently detailed on his website that he had blown up to 261 pounds due to “injury, self-doubt and depression.” That sends up a red flag for me. A weight cut like that is not healthy, even if it did take place over five months. It will have an effect on Munoz’s cardio and conditioning, as will the fact that Munoz has not fought in nearly a year.
More concerning to me is the fact that Munoz’s heart may not entirely be in the fight game at this point in his career. Allowing one loss, against a fighter who was tagged as one of the best prospects in the division, to throw him into a downward spiral is worrisome, as is the fact that he has business concerns to worry about on a day-to-day basis with his gym.
Before the loss to Philippou, Boetsch delivered a lackluster performance in a split-decision win over Hector Lombard. Boetsch showed a real reluctance to engage Lombard, which may have been a smart tactic, but it also showed a bit of a lack of confidence in his own abilities.
I think Boetsch has the psychological advantage in this fight, and if he pressures Munoz right out of the gate, he will be able to wear him down both physically and mentally and take the win via third-round technical knockout.
Odds: Mark Munoz -140, Tim Boetsch +110
Cub Swanson vs. Dennis Siver
If you are a fan of the more violent side of MMA, then Cub Swanson vs. Dennis Siver is the UFC 162 fight you do not want to miss.
Swanson was inconsistent during the majority of his UFC/WEC tenure, but he’s really flipped the switch as of late. Swanson has gone 4-0 since January 2012, with three knockouts and one decision. Two of those three knockouts have earned him “Knockout of the Night” honors. The streak he is on has made him a top-five fighter in the featherweight division, and he looks poised to launch himself into the title-shot conversation.
With that being said, Siver is no slouch and will be a tough test for Swanson. Siver ranks one spot behind Swanson in the division and has two unanimous decisions to his name since dropping to featherweight. In his last seven contests, he has only lost once, falling to Donald Cerrone via submission. He’s a fireplug of a fighter with a solid background in kickboxing.
I think Swanson will be the more aggressive fighter, and that aggression will give Siver fits. Siver will take everything Swanson can offer, but he won’t take the win.
I expect Swanson to win via unanimous decision, but I will not be shocked if this one ends in a knockout either way.
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is set to defend his crown for the 11th time, hoping to extend his own record as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time. But in his opponent is a young and compelling talent. Chris Weidman is a man many, …
UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is set to defend his crown for the 11th time, hoping to extend his own record as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.
But in his opponent is a young and compelling talent. Chris Weidman is a man many, including welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, consider in possession of the wrestling gift that will finally end Silva’s reign.
Silva, however, has seen it all before. Having been fighting as a professional since the 1990s, the Brazilian has fought on the biggest stage many times. For him, Weidman is just another one of many challengers who are supposed to beat him.
Weidman, on the other hand, has had a short and meteoric rise to prominence. In just three short years as a professional, he stands at the biggest night of his career when the action goes down July 6. Here’s a brief look at the careers of the two protagonists.
He’s got plenty of fan support, but having the backing from some of the brightest minds in MMA has truly made Chris Weidman an enticing pick to dethrone middleweight champ Anderson Silva at UFC 162.The company’s greatest welterweight, Georges St-Pierre…
He’s got plenty of fan support, but having the backing from some of the brightest minds in MMA has truly made Chris Weidman an enticing pick to dethrone middleweight champ Anderson Silva at UFC 162.
The company’s greatest welterweight, Georges St-Pierre, along with former UFC great Kenny Florian, each contend that Weidman poses stylistic issues that will lead to the demise of the longtime pound-for-pound king.
But St-Pierre and Florian certainly aren’t alone in making shocking predictions about the Weidman vs. Silva bout.
All the pros, like when you talk to all the fighters, every fighter out there that I’ve talked to and that we’ve interviewed think Weidman’s going to beat him. Georges St-Pierre thinks he’s going to win so much that he didn’t even want to plan to fight Anderson.
It may seem far-fetched to some, but here are three reasons fighters and fans believe that Weidman can pull off the unthinkable and upset the greatest mixed martial artist of all time at UFC 162.
Anderson Silva is, without doubt, the closest thing that MMA has to a complete package. He is skills, training, experience and unfaltering confidence all lumped into one lethal package. Those primary assets drive the highlight-reel knockouts he deliver…
Anderson Silva is, without doubt, the closest thing that MMA has to a complete package. He is skills, training, experience and unfaltering confidence all lumped into one lethal package. Those primary assets drive the highlight-reel knockouts he delivers time and again.
But you probably already knew that—you’ve probably seen his backlog of fight-ending tricks on more than one occasion.
What’s more interesting, perhaps, are the mind games tucked in between the formal introductions and the brutal finishes. Rare and fleeting, these demonstrations of superiority allow Silva to cripple his opponents psychologically—the shock waves then travel throughout the middleweight division and cast doubt in many future contenders’ minds.
He’s gained a certain infamy for toying with his opponents mid-bout. Juking, jiving, dancing and even voluntarily placing himself into vulnerable positions are all fair play.
At UFC 162, Chris Weidman will need to maintain the same confidence he’s displayed in the buildup to his showdown against the middleweight champion. He’s vowed to not be yet another victim of Silva’s manipulations.
Whether or not he succeeds remains to be determined.
In the meantime, sit back, relax and take a look at some of Silva’s most memorable psych-out moments.
We’re days away from