Tag: UFC 162

UFC 162: Fighters Chris Weidman Should Consider for First Title Defense

After an upset for the ages on Saturday night, when Chris Weidman took down living legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva, we’re left figuring out where the new middleweight champion will look to next.It took Weidman just 10 fights to get to the top of the…

After an upset for the ages on Saturday night, when Chris Weidman took down living legend Anderson “The Spider” Silva, we’re left figuring out where the new middleweight champion will look to next.

It took Weidman just 10 fights to get to the top of the ultimate fighting world and end the most historic run the sport has ever seen. Now, he’ll weigh out his options for his first title defense.

With a heap of talent in the weight class, Weidman will have his hands full figuring out who the best option is to successfully defend his new crown against for the first time.

Will he choose an established veteran or opt to go with an up-and-comer like himself? Let’s take a look at the fighters he should consider most.

 

Vitor Belfort

Vitor “The Phenom” Belfort deserves to be the next fighter who gets a shot at the middleweight crown, and it’s been coming for some time. However, it’s not the rematch with Anderson Silva that so many expected.

Belfort, who has been adamant on Twitter about his desire and right to fight the winner of Silva-Weidman, reiterated his stance to contend for the crown after Weidman‘s improbable victory:

English translation: Now my turn, I deserve and want my dream to come true more congratulations I’m the next.

The Phenom has been on a roll through the UFC and Affliction, with his only losses since 2006 coming against Dan Henderson, Silva and Jon Jones. He recently took down Luke Rockhold and elite fighter Michael Bisping, each with a crushing kick in knockout fashion. 

The 36-year-old has been around, and his 23-10 record reflects more on his early-career difficulties than the fighter he is now. But when he faced Silva, he was knocked out very early with one of the most devastating kicks we’ve ever seen.

Belfort should match up better against Weidman, who utilizes a much more conventional and straight-forward approach than the mind-boggling Silva. 

Look for Belfort to be one of the most talked-about names for Weidman‘s potential next opponent.

 

Anderson Silva

Despite what you may have heard from the fallen champ after the fight, Silva shouldn’t be discounted for a potential rematch for the crown.

The 38-year-old, battered and confused from the four-punch flurry that ended his reign, shot down the idea of a rematch before even leaving the Octagon. 

But according to Dana White, UFC’s president and head honcho, there’s no scenario that is more likely than Silva-Weidman II, per the Los Angeles Times.

“I guarantee you there’s nothing more he wants than that rematch with Chris Weidman,” White said, per the Times report. 

There’s no doubt that Silva has earned the right to immediately rematch Weidman for the crown. After all, he successfully defended his title 10 times and was just coming off a 17-fight winning streak before letting his guard down.

Silva made a fool out of himself by acting how he always acts, the only difference this time around being that he got carried away and his opponent jumped at the opportunity. 

The Spider may not want a rematch right now, but if he’s not immediately jumping into retirement, let’s wait a bit for him to clear his mind and figure out if he wants to rematch the new champ.

 

Tim Kennedy

It’s far from the conventional opponent or the household name that one would expect a middleweight champion to fight, but Tim Kennedy has proven he can stand up to any task and would put up a heck of a fight.

Kennedy was on the fight card on Saturday night, dominating Roger Gracie in a decision ending for what was the 33-year-old’s UFC debut. He’s spent the latest stretch of his career as one of the top fighters in Strikeforce.

He’s 8-2 in his last 10 fights, with those losses coming against Rockhold and Ronaldo Souza, so he’s not exactly losing to unknown fighters. Perhaps the biggest win of his career was against Robbie Lawler in 2011 or Gracie on Saturday. 

The U.S. Army veteran has deployed for multiple missions to Iraq and Afghanistan, which only proves he has the toughness that is so important in the Octagon. 

Kennedy showed in his first appearance in a UFC Octagon that he’s well-suited to take his game wherever it needs to go. He can dominate on the ground by spinning his opponents into guard, or he can fight the entire bout on his feet while throwing jabs and hooks.

It may take some time, but Kennedy will get his chance against the best in the UFC. 

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Anderson Silva vs Chris Weidman Results: 4 Things the Casual Fan Learned

Chris Weidman defeated Anderson Silva to become the middleweight champion at UFC 162. The fight result was shocking, not only because we’d never previously seen Silva lose inside the Octagon, but because the very idea of him being knocked out seem…

Chris Weidman defeated Anderson Silva to become the middleweight champion at UFC 162. 

The fight result was shocking, not only because we’d never previously seen Silva lose inside the Octagon, but because the very idea of him being knocked out seemed almost laughable. Prior to UFC 162 at least.

It was a very surprising, odd and intriguing main event, one that may very well stand as the most memorable bout of 2013. Not for the action alone, but because of what it revealed to MMA fans.

There is much to be learned from Weidman vs. Silva, especially for those who may never have seen a legend fall before, or have understood the threat Weidman posed to Silva. 

Let’s take a look at the most important lessons from the UFC 162 headliner.

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Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman Results: 5 Reasons for a Rematch

On Saturday, July 6, 2013, Anderson Silva lost to Chris Weidman at UFC 162. We are now two days removed from the fight and the result still stands. It turns out Silva did indeed lose. It wasn’t just a collective dream shared by the MMA community.T…

On Saturday, July 6, 2013, Anderson Silva lost to Chris Weidman at UFC 162. 

We are now two days removed from the fight and the result still stands. It turns out Silva did indeed lose. It wasn’t just a collective dream shared by the MMA community.

The fight between Weidman and Silva was an odd affair, Weidman hunting the champ, Silva confusing the match for a foray into Dancing With the Stars.

It sure would be nice to see the two of them go at it for a second time, only with both fighters attempting to engage, wouldn’t it?

Well, as it happens, Dana White says that we will see it. 

Personally, I don’t find an immediate rematch to be particularly viable. The nature of Weidman vs. Silva leaves me wondering if Silva would care to put more focus into a rematch, and if the result would be any different.

But if the former champion exhibits real dedication and concentration by winning a fight, and the new champion solidifies his spot by defending his title, Weidman vs. Silva II is a must.

Here are five reasons why.

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The Unsupportable Opinion: Chris Weidman Beating Anderson Silva Was the Best Thing That Could’ve Happened to the UFC


(Photo via Esther Lin of MMAFighting.)

By Matt Saccaro

You can mourn for Anderson Silva’s pristine UFC record and title run if you want — but you shouldn’t. The Spider losing to Chris Weidman was the best possible outcome at UFC 162. Even Anderson Silva himself said that Weidman winning was the ideal situation.

Hear me out before you add your voice into the chorus of angry Silva fans (and spambots) in the comments.

A relatively new UFC fighter knocking off an established “star” was an amazing development for the UFC and for MMA as a whole.

First, the inevitable rematch between now-(interim?)champ Chris Weidman and former champ Anderson Silva is going to be a massive draw. Does the UFC have a fight that can fill Cowboys Stadium? It’s impossible to tell now since the fight only happened two days ago. But what’s known for sure, is that Silva-Weidman II will be big. Possibly UFC 100 big.

UFC 100 drew an estimated 1,600,000 buys. Silva-Sonnen II—a fight where much of the fan interest came from the fact that Sonnen almost dethroned Silva—drew an estimated 925,000 buys. If Silva-Sonnen II drew approximately 300k more buys than Silva-Sonnen I, can you imagine what Silva-Weidman II will draw? Dana White projected the buy-rate for Silva-Weidman to be 800,000 buys (although, admittedly, that might be total bullshit because it’s Dana White). If Silva-Weidman II draws at least 300k more buys, it’ll be one of the few UFC PPVs to surpass the one million buys mark.

But there’s more to a rematch than just a one-off payday. Weidman being on a well-drawing PPV with Silva and then being on a potentially enormous PPV with Silva for a rematch might make the Long Island native a star at a time when the UFC is in desperate need of new ones. This isn’t a guarantee though, just a possibility. Other fighters have been on high-performing events and haven’t gone on to become superstars, just as other fighters have beaten established draws only to not become draws of equal or greater size themselves.


(Photo via Esther Lin of MMAFighting.)

By Matt Saccaro

You can mourn for Anderson Silva’s pristine UFC record and title run if you want — but you shouldn’t. The Spider losing to Chris Weidman was the best possible outcome at UFC 162. Even Anderson Silva himself said that Weidman winning was the ideal situation.

Hear me out before you add your voice into the chorus of angry Silva fans (and spambots) in the comments.

A relatively new UFC fighter knocking off an established “star” was an amazing development for the UFC and for MMA as a whole.

First, the inevitable rematch between now-(interim?)champ Chris Weidman and former champ Anderson Silva is going to be a massive draw. Does the UFC have a fight that can fill Cowboys Stadium? It’s impossible to tell now since the fight only happened two days ago. But what’s known for sure, is that Silva-Weidman II will be big. Possibly UFC 100 big.

UFC 100 drew an estimated 1,600,000 buys. Silva-Sonnen II—a fight where much of the fan interest came from the fact that Sonnen almost dethroned Silva—drew an estimated 925,000 buys. If Silva-Sonnen II drew approximately 300k more buys than Silva-Sonnen I, can you imagine what Silva-Weidman II will draw? Dana White projected the buy-rate for Silva-Weidman to be 800,000 buys (although, admittedly, that might be total bullshit because it’s Dana White). If Silva-Weidman II draws at least 300k more buys, it’ll be one of the few UFC PPVs to surpass the one million buys mark.

But there’s more to a rematch than just a one-off payday. Weidman being on a well-drawing PPV with Silva and then being on a potentially enormous PPV with Silva for a rematch might make the Long Island native a star at a time when the UFC is in desperate need of new ones. This isn’t a guarantee though, just a possibility. Other fighters have been on high-performing events and haven’t gone on to become superstars, just as other fighters have beaten established draws only to not become draws of equal or greater size themselves.

Second, Weidman’s win restored life to the middleweight division. Before, the Zuffa hype machine would drum up interest in a new Guy to Beat Silva™ only for Silva to humiliate that person. This went on like clockwork (with Silva-Sonnen I being the only slight hiccup) until Weidman turned the tables. Things are different now. Will the division become a revolving door of equally-matched contenders who all hold the belt? Or will Weidman manage to fend off the top ten fighters and become dominant for years? We get to watch the answers to these questions unfold right before our eyes now. Middleweight became the most exciting division in the UFC after Silva hit the canvas.

Third, the aftermath to UFC 162 will help us determine what lies in the UFC’s future. A star faded at UFC 162. Anderson Silva was brutally knocked out. Will Weidman, his replacement, be able to draw a crowd? What happens when all the established names of the old generation are replaced by the Chris Weidmans of the sport? Will the lamps go out all over the MMA world? Or will MMA have a new Renaissance? We don’t know right now, but we can get a better idea when we see how Weidman performs on PPV and if he becomes a (inter)nationally recognized name.

Fourth, and most importantly, if Silva had won we might’ve had Roy Jones Jr. in the UFC. MMA owes Weidman a debt of gratitude for stopping this from happening.

Had the 38-year-old Silva held onto the belt for a little while longer, nothing would have come of it. Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg would trot out tired statistics and legendary records but the sport wouldn’t move. It’d be frozen in a previous era. Now, MMA is liberated. So don’t be upset. Silva lost. Weidman won. And that’s great.

MMA’s Top 50 Pound-for-Pound Following Anderson Silva’s Shocking UFC 162 Loss

A lot changed in the blink of an eye at UFC 162. That’s all the time it took Chris Weidman to turn out Anderson Silva’s lights with a left hook and throw the entire MMA world into chaos.For years, Silva has reigned as the top pound-for-pound fighter in…

A lot changed in the blink of an eye at UFC 162. That’s all the time it took Chris Weidman to turn out Anderson Silva‘s lights with a left hook and throw the entire MMA world into chaos.

For years, Silva has reigned as the top pound-for-pound fighter in the entire sport. At 38, he suffered the first loss of his UFC career.

Is he still the best in the world? If not, who? And why?

In the wake of one of the most monumental upsets in UFC history, it’s worth pressing reset and re-evaluating things.

Who are the best of the best?

I have 50 answers to that question.

Disagree? Let me know in the comments.

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Silva vs. Weidman Results: Breaking Down The Spider’s Stunning Loss

Pound-for-pound champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva was the only person in the arena who didn’t think Chris “The All-American” Weidman could beat him on Saturday night. Silva displayed the hubris and glaring overconfidenc…

Pound-for-pound champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva was the only person in the arena who didn’t think Chris “The All-American” Weidman could beat him on Saturday night.

Silva displayed the hubris and glaring overconfidence he has shown many times in his previously undefeated UFC career, but this time, his opponent would give him a reason to rethink just how untouchable he really is.

Hands at his sides in a display of classless arrogance for the second straight round, Silva avoided the first two punches of Weidman’s volley before taking the third and fourth directly to the face, falling to the canvas as referee Herb Dean called the fight in the early seconds of the second round, via USA Today:

Silva cites his “game plan” as one of the reasons he lost, per Arda Ocal of the Baltimore Sun, but it’s asinine to believe his strategy was to give Weidman free shots at his chops.

Breaking down Silva’s loss isn’t all that complicated. The previously undefeated middleweight showed a total lack of aggression, poise and focus, and the result was an embarrassing finish that left UFC fans everywhere wanting an explanation—and perhaps a rematch.

UFC president Dana White is certainly on board. As quoted by Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, White believes Silva wants a chance to make it right:

I guarantee you there’s nothing more he wants than that rematch with Chris Weidman. He was messing with Weidman’s head, and if he did it and knocked him out, he’d be a genius. He decided the way he wanted to fight … he got clipped. Tonight, it caught up to him.

White typically doesn’t find disrespectful displays of arrogance so copacetic, but he’s also not one to belittle arguably the most popular fighter of the sport and the face of his franchise.

Whatever the case, there’s no two ways about it: Silva messed up, and he now faces an uphill battle to restore his image and avenge his loss.

But what has gotten lost in the talk of Silva’s blunder is the ability of Weidman to take advantage of his opportunities. Give credit where credit is due.

The All-American is at his best on the mat, using his superior submission and ground-and-pound skills to keep the momentum of the fight in his favor. Given Silva’s impressive striking ability, Weidman probably wasn’t prepared to get into a boxing match with the pound-for-pound champ.

As quoted by Pugmire, the 29-year-old finally gave into Silva’s head games, exploiting tremendous opportunity to end the fight early:

I was saying, ‘Don’t get mad, don’t get fooled, get him to the ground. He tries to mentally defeat you… I said, ‘Forget this, I’m hitting him.’ I felt my stand-up was good and I felt like, ‘I’m going for this. He’s a genius in getting into people’s minds. I just kept believing in myself.

And credit to Weidman for acknowledging Silva’s tactics are more than just classless arrogance. There’s something to be said for the Spider’s psychological games, but he took it too far on Saturday.

Ultimately, Silva is the biggest loser following the fight, but UFC fans aren’t far behind. Seeing Silva finally lose a match was good for a sport than needs the parity—just not in the way he lost.

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