If UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman proves that his epic win over Anderson “The Spider” Silva at UFC 162 was no fluke, the legend needs to retire to prevent himself from further tarnishing his legacy and/or taking unnecessary beatings.
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If UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman proves that his epic win over Anderson “The Spider” Silva at UFC 162 was no fluke, the legend needs to retire to prevent himself from further tarnishing his legacy and/or taking unnecessary beatings.
This is meant as no disrespect to Weidman, but if Silva is still blessed with the uncanny instincts, reflexes, striking ability and poise that had him undefeated for 17 straight fights, he should regain his UFC middleweight title Saturday at UFC 168.
Silva’s clowning in the first fight probably led to defeat, thus it didn’t convince us Weidman was the better man.
As good as the champion is, he’s not a better wrestler than ChaelSonnen. He’s not a more dangerous striker than VitorBelfort. Silva has conquered both of those men—even though Sonnen gave him some anxious moments in both of their bouts.
If Silva loses again, it’s official. Something has changed.
He is 38 years old. One comeback from a loss this late in his career is difficult enough. Being tasked with coming back again from another crushing defeat would be too much. As remarkable as he’s been in his career, the Spider is still human.
Even the future Hall of Famer would have to doubt whether he can still perform at an elite level.
Whether you’re a long-time admirer of Silva’s talents, a hater or an impartial observer, you have to respect what the man has accomplished. He’s 33-5, with only four legit losses. One of the stains on his record is a controversial disqualification against YushinOkami in 2006. He’s since avenged that defeat.
Before the loss to Weidman, Silva had never been defeated in the promotion.
Seeing him fight past his prime would be a shame. Silva has had the type of career that should be remembered more for the spectacular and the victorious moments he’s created, not for the heartbreaking losses at the tail end.
It’s almost a given; fighters usually fight much longer than they should, but Silva should be one of the few exceptions. There’s no way he should toil around the UFC in mediocrity.
The UFC is a better place when he’s considered elite. If that’s not the case anymore, he should walk away completely.
Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva are set to meet again at UFC 168.
In July, Silva saw his legendary middleweight title run ended by a Weidman left hook while he was pretending to be wobbled. Now that Weidman has earned his respect, “The Spider” should …
Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva are set to meet again at UFC 168.
In July, Silva saw his legendary middleweight title run ended by a Weidman left hook while he was pretending to be wobbled. Now that Weidman has earned his respect, “The Spider” should enter the Octagon as a more focused fighter on Saturday.
Whether that makes a difference in this matchup or not, it’s what makes UFC 168 the company’s most highly anticipated event of 2013.
As the world’s top MMA promotion gets set to finish its calendar year strong, Bleacher Report’s own Riley Kontek, Scott Harris, Craig Amos, James MacDonald and Sean Smith joined up to bring you predictions for every bout on the UFC 168 main card.
On Saturday night from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Chris Weidman will attempt to validate his spot at the top of the UFC’s middleweight division at UFC 168. He already knocked out Anderson “The Spider” Silva in their first meeting at UFC 162 in July.&n…
On Saturday night from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Chris Weidman will attempt to validate his spot at the top of the UFC’s middleweight division at UFC 168. He already knocked out Anderson “The Spider” Silva in their first meeting at UFC 162 in July.
However, Silva was clowning, and his lack of seriousness cost him. That’s not Weidman’s fault, but to some degree, the former champ’s tactics have cast a cloud over the American’s accomplishment.
This fight will end in a knockout and win one of the three fight night bonuses for the event. Here’s a look at the fights that will earn four fighters some extra cash.
KO of the Night: Uriah Hall
Though he hasn’t shown it yet in official UFC competition, Uriah Hall is a devastating striker. His explosive ability was on full display during The Ultimate Fighter 17.
Pitting Hall against a straight-ahead, no-defense fighter like Chris Leben is the perfect setup for the 29-year-old to shine. Leben is 33 years old, but he is likely much older in the Octagon because of the wars and beatings he’s experienced over the course of his career.
It seems inevitable that this one ends with a quick and hard head kick from Hall.
Submission of the Night: Ronda Rousey
Miesha Tate can work on her takedown defense until her heart desires, but it’s almost impossible for her to counter the huge edge in grappling experience that Ronda Rousey holds over her—and every other woman at 135 pounds.
Tate has stopped just 20 percent of the takedowns attempted against her, per Fight Metric.
To put it plainly, if she can’t stop Rousey from taking her down, she won’t be able to keep her arm out of the champion’s clutches. Rousey will retain her UFC women’s bantamweight title and take home her first Submission of the Night honor.
Fight of the Night: Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman
Anderson Silva is going to regain his title by way of TKO/KO. That said, Weidman will probably have his moments as he attempts to take Silva to the mat.
The Spider should be ready for this strategy as it is still the most common method of attack against him. Once Silva has staved off Weidman’s aggression in the first round, look for a well-placed knee or kick to send the champion down.
Silva will finish him to win an exciting fight and set up a rubber match.
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UFC 168 gets underway on Saturday, Dec. 28, at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena, and Anderson Silva will fittingly be taking a huge gamble in the fight that headlines the main card.
“The Spider” will seek to bounce back in a middleweight bout against …
UFC 168 gets underway on Saturday, Dec. 28, at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena, and Anderson Silva will fittingly be taking a huge gamble in the fight that headlines the main card.
“The Spider” will seek to bounce back in a middleweight bout against Chris Weidman, the fighter who knocked Silva to the canvas for good in their last meeting.
Also featured on the men’s side of things is a heavyweight duel between Josh Barnett and Travis Browne, but another showdown that will garner a ton of attention will involve Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate. The women have a tense rivalry and are engaging in their first UFC matchup.
Below are predictions for every fight on the main card, along with a closer look and preview of the three that will conclude the exciting evening in Sin City.
Unlike the other two fights that will draw the most attention and will be rematches, this will be the first time Barnett and Browne square off in what should be a hard-hitting display.
Two very contrasting styles will be on display. Browne likes to end things with a bang, as evidenced by the 73 percent of his bouts ending in TKO or KO. On the other hand, Barnett has won on submissions 55 percent of the time.
The 36-year-old Barnett (33-6) may have an edge in experience over his opponent, but Browne is confident and feels he is just scratching the surface of what’s possible, per the UFC’s official Twitter account:
But Barnett just beat former Heavyweight champion Frank Mir on Aug. 31 at UFC 164, making him a formidable foe to contend with.
With so much at stake and so much to gain, though, look for Browne to continue thriving under that pressure as he continues his perpetual ascent and wins this fight by way of TKO in the first round.
Prediction: Browne wins via TKO
Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate
These two are chomping at the bit to get after each other, creating an unprecedented and compelling storyline for UFC president Dana White.
There was a palpable ferociousness from the outset of their Strikeforce bantamweight title fight, which Rousey won by armbar submission:
B/R’s own MMA lead writer Jonathan Snowden interviewed both fighters in a fantastic feature ahead of Saturday evening’s bout. Tate expressed that Rousey is self-absorbed and is not the darling the media portrays her to be:
Ronda Rousey is not someone I personally like representing women’s MMA as a whole. Because you can see how she really is…It’s all about Ronda and the Ronda show. She doesn’t care how she comes off or how she represents women’s MMA. It’s going to be her way or the highway.
For Rousey’s opponents, so far it’s been losing by submission as the only way out of the Octagon, which Tate has experienced firsthand.
No one has been able to stop “Rowdy” yet, but Tate has the tools and the knowledge of having faced her opponent once before to combat it.
But until someone figures out Rousey for sure, it’s hard to imagine any other outcome. She has talked the talk and backed it up by devastating her adversaries, and took another dig at Tate with regard to the outcome of their first encounter, per Snowden:
I think the rivalry is necessary. It really is. Because based on how the first match went alone, I don’t think a rematch would sell. There has to be a rivalry to bring interest in. It was the showmanship and entertainment that grabbed attention in the first place.
Unless Tate’s wrestling expertise can fend off Rousey better on the ground and stop her signature go-to move, look for the result to be similar to the first time.
There should be lots of action and a lengthy battle, but Rousey will wrench an armbar before the Round 1 bell sounds.
Prediction: Rousey wins via submission
Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva
The last fight was more a sign of Silva’s hubris than anything else, as he antagonized Weidman by showboating around the Octagon before succumbing to a knockout blow.
It even forced the 38-year-old living legend to consider retirement, but his son talked him out of such thoughts, per FoxSports.com’s Damon Martin:
After the last fight, after the dust settled I was sitting thinking alone and thinking maybe I should stop. Maybe this is it. But I got on the phone with my son and my son said, “Hey dad, do what you want to do, do what makes you happy,” and that’s what I’m doing.
…I still have eight fights left on my contract and as long as I’m still enjoying it and I still want to go out there and have that desire to fight, I’m going to keep on fighting.
There shouldn’t be any doubts about Silva’s desire to avenge that unfortunate loss, because the ferocious Brazilian has successfully defended the middleweight title in the UFC 10 times before.
Weidman has a perfect 10-0 record on the line, and there might be even more pressure on him to prove to his detractors that his landmark triumph wasn’t a fluke of sorts and that he is indeed better than Silva at this point in their respective careers.
The overall numbers say that Silva is a far more precise fighter (67.12 percent on significant strikes, compared to just 41.98 percent from Weidman) and he has a far more proven track record.
Silva will take this more seriously and business-like, getting a bounce-back win by way of knockout and confirming he still belongs well within the UFC’s elite.
The best way to earn respect is to beat it into people. In lieu of bringing a PR disaster to the UFC, Ronda Rousey can settle for dismantling Miesha Tate at UFC 168.
While the reigning Women’s Bantamweight Champion remains one of the most popular fight…
The best way to earn respect is to beat it into people. In lieu of bringing a PR disaster to the UFC, Ronda Rousey can settle for dismantling Miesha Tate at UFC 168.
While the reigning Women’s Bantamweight Champion remains one of the most popular fighters in the company, she’s beginning to undergo what would be considered a heel turn in professional wrestling or perhaps has already entered into that territory for some.
There was a time when Rousey was a refreshing face. Now, she has been featured on so many different television shows and magazine covers that she’s been overexposed to the sporting public. Fans are getting sick of seeing her face everywhere they look.
It’s happened to plenty of celebrities and athletes before, plenty of whom aren’t even that good to begin with (see Tebow, Tim).
Coaching a team against Tate on The Ultimate Fighter did nothing to present Rousey in a good light or help her public image.
We were really mistreated and really disrespected by the whole production staff. Everyone was constantly being instigated and manipulated to get the most dramatic response. … Constantly poked and prodded, like we weren’t even people. … It left a sour taste in my mouth.
They edited as they pleased. They needed a villain and they made me fill that role. … It came off terribly for me.
Rather than using her words to change the public’s perception, Rousey instead needs to dispatch Tate with ease. Nothing turns fans around quicker than seeing a great athlete be great.
Look at Jon Jones. He gets a strange rap from the UFC fan base. Jones told me not long after he became light heavyweight champion how he applies the “10-80-10 rule”, and never departs from it.
His theory is this: 10 percent of fans will hate him no matter what; another 10 percent will follow him devotedly even if he went on a lay-and-pray streak and sent a series of arenas into slumber. The remaining 80 percent, he reckons, swim with the tide. Pretty wise theory.
And I’ll wager it holds true. Ever recall a fighter being booed into the Octagon, and then cheered out of it, or cheered as they come back and rescue a victory from the throes of defeat?
Those Coliseum moments which draw us all in, when a baying crowd turns, and the heel leaves as hero, are legion in MMA.
What drew so many people to Rousey was the way in which she won fights. It didn’t hurt that she’s a female athlete who happens to be beautiful, but that only gets you so far for so long (see Patrick, Danica). In order to keep fans interested, you have to be good, and there’s no doubt about Rousey‘s talent.
None of her seven fights has gone past the first round, and each of which was ended when she slapped on the armbar.
On Saturday night, Rousey has the chance to make everyone remember what was so awesome about her in the first place—her talent. Watching Rousey is like watching any other great athlete at the peak of their powers.
It’s similar to what you see with Floyd Mayweather. You may not like the way he constantly flaunts his wealth, but you have to respect the guy for how he’s continued to be one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. He talks a big game, but he backs it up.
The more Rousey fights, and more importantly wins, the less people will care about what kind of person she is. Beating Tate will help turn everybody back around and get the narrative back to how great Rousey is in the Octagon and not whether she’s a saint outside of it.
The main event will be a rematch for the undisputed middleweight title. Champion Chris Weidman seeks to prove the first fight was not a fluke, and former champion Anderson Silva wants to reclaim the title.
Ten more bouts line the card, including a UFC …
The main event will be a rematch for the undisputed middleweight title. Champion Chris Weidman seeks to prove the first fight was not a fluke, and former champion Anderson Silva wants to reclaim the title.
Ten more bouts line the card, including a UFC Women’s Bantamweight Championship tilt between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate.
Weigh-In Results
UFC Middleweight Championship: Chris Weidman (184) vs. Anderson Silva (185)
If UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman proves that his epic win over Anderson “The Spider” Silva at UFC 162 was no fluke, the legend needs to retire to prevent himself from further tarnishing his legacy and/or taking unnecessary beatings.