In July, Chris Weidman ended Anderson Silva’s middleweight title reign of nearly seven years. At UFC 166, “The Spider” will attempt to reclaim his spot atop the 185-pound division.
Weidman was touted as a future champion by jiu-jitsu coach Matt Serra&n…
In July, Chris Weidman ended Anderson Silva‘s middleweight title reign of nearly seven years. At UFC 166, “The Spider” will attempt to reclaim his spot atop the 185-pound division.
Weidman was touted as a future champion by jiu-jitsu coach Matt Serra before his UFC career even began. However, not even Serra could have predicted Weidman would be the one to dethrone Silva or that he’d do so with striking.
Unbeaten in his first 16 UFC bouts, Silva was and still is widely considered the greatest striker in UFC history. Nonetheless, Weidman caught the legend with a left hook while being taunted and stole the middleweight crown.
At 38 years old, Silva is now out to prove his first UFC defeat was more fluke than the beginning of the end. Where Silva’s career heads now depends on his performance at UFC 168, which will be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 28.
As this hugely important 185-pound bout approaches, here is a look at how Weidman and Silva match up in all areas.
Not that long ago, Junior dos Santos was getting knocked around a cage in Texas on his way to losing a world title fight.
The champion, Cain Velasquez, defended his title in spectacular fashion, smashing Dos Santos violently and leaving people to debat…
Not that long ago, Junior dos Santos was getting knocked around a cage in Texas on his way to losing a world title fight.
The champion, Cain Velasquez, defended his title in spectacular fashion, smashing Dos Santos violently and leaving people to debate how much punishment is too much in the world of prizefighting.
That wasn’t quite two months ago, and most people who take a sustained beating from the most dangerous man on Earth wouldn’t be too quick to make plans to head back to the scene of the crime.
Not Junior dos Santos though. He can’t wait to do it again, and he’s already got his list narrowed down to two guys he wants to get in there with: Josh Barnett and Travis Browne.
The two heavyweights will meet at next weekend’s UFC 168, and Dos Santos wants one of them. Chances are, given his ugly loss last time out, it will be the loser. So he should be a serious Josh Barnett fan that night, as his goal is obviously to get himself back on track as soon as possible.
Barnett is a gritty veteran who has long been among the elite of the sport and is finally getting to prove it again in the world’s biggest promotion. If Dos Santos ends up with him, it will be a test of his will and general fortitude in the same way the Velasquez fight was, with perhaps more concern for Barnett’s strength as opposed to Velasquez’s stamina.
Browne is the most underappreciated heavyweight on the roster, a bruiser with a diverse striking attack and capable grappling. He’s a monster of a man and has proven that his spirit is equally sizable, overcoming long odds at a few points in his UFC run to secure highlight-reel stoppages.
The reason Dos Santos should be cheering on Barnett next weekend in Las Vegas is simple optics. He’d be a justified favorite against either man and stands a very good chance of beating either one, but beating Browne is far more likely to come in exciting fashion than beating Barnett.
Barnett is going to make you work like a dog to beat him. He’s going to bully you, wrestle you and clinch you. You’re going to eat a thousand short punches and elbows and spend the entire night carrying his 260 pounds on you against the cage. Even if you beat him, no one is going to tell you how good you looked doing it.
Browne, on the other hand, is far more likely to engage in a firefight. After stopping all-world striker Alistair Overeem once he survived everything the Dutchman could throw at him, he’s—quite reasonably—as confident as ever in his standup. It’s where he excels anyway, and the way he’s going to approach the fight is a recipe for excitement that will certainly end with one very large man staring up at the lights.
It all boils down to the fact that, even though Dos Santos isn’t going to get another title shot any time soon, he needs to win fights and win them in remarkable fashion if he’s going to remain relevant. He can beat either one of Barnett or Browne, but he’s far more likely to do it remarkably against Browne.
So at UFC 168, Dos Santos needs to be a big fan of Josh Barnett. It’s sure to pay off for him down the line.
To the surprise of no one, it looks like UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman’s striking coach, Ray Longo, has all the confidence in the world in his prized pupil heading into his rematch with Anderson Silva at UFC 168.
Speaking to Ariel Helwa…
To the surprise of no one, it looks like UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman’s striking coach, Ray Longo, has all the confidence in the world in his prized pupil heading into his rematch with Anderson Silva at UFC 168.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani on yesterday’s edition of The MMA Hour, per MMA Fighting, Longo explained that in his eyes, this fight camp went perfectly and he sees “The All-American” winning this bout any way he wants.
“Listen, he’s ready to go tomorrow. So, we’re ready. As of right now I could tell you I wish the fight was Saturday. We got a little extra leeway and if he wants to do some interviews at this point, no harm done. His weight is perfect, He’s been an animal in the gym. His sparring is perfect. Everything is point-on. We’re looking for a great fight. … I think we’re looking at a submission this time. Let’s diversify!” Longo said jokingly. “I think there’s a good chance, yeah. [Weidman] looks point-on with everything. Whatever he feels like doing, I think he can take this fight wherever he wants to. We know we’re going to play to our strengths like we normally would and I think we’ll have to wait and see what happens.”
Weidman, a two-time All-American wrestler at Hofstra University, enters the title tilt with a perfect 10-0 record as a professional mixed martial artist.
The 29-year-old Baldwin, New York native became the first fighter to knock out Silva in 38 professional fights, delivering “The Spider” his first loss of any kind in seven-and-a-half years.
Prior to the stunning upset, the legendary Brazilian competitor had won 17 bouts in a row, including a UFC record of 10 consecutive successful middleweight title defenses.
Regardless who wins Weidman vs. Silva II, there will not be a trilogy fight, at least not immediately. UFC President Dana White has signed off on giving ex-light heavyweight champ Vitor Belfort the next crack at the middleweight belt, via FOX Sports.
Belfort is in the midst of a three-fight win streak, all coming via knockout, though he suffered a vicious KO when he faced Silva for the middleweight title at UFC 126 in February 2011.
Will Weidman’s high-level grappling and underrated striking again prove to be too much for Silva on December 28, or will Silva’s diversified power strikes get the job done at least one more time?
John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.
It’s always unsettling to hear Dana White plead ignorance.
After more than a decade as one of the most opinionated and hands-on executives in sports, we’ve come to rely on him as the last word on most MMA-related topics—both for bette…
It’s always unsettling to hear Dana White plead ignorance.
After more than a decade as one of the most opinionated and hands-on executives in sports, we’ve come to rely on him as the last word on most MMA-related topics—both for better and for worse.
In an industry that somehow continues to operate largely without spokespeople, he’s not just the UFC president, but also its all-around point man. If White doesn’t know the answer to a question—or won’t at least say stuff to make it sound like he knows—chances are, nobody does.
Perhaps that’s why it was so jarring last weekend when, on the topic of why the fight company will add $5 to the price of its upcoming UFC 168 pay-per-view, the notoriously decisive White suddenly sounded shockingly out of the loop.
“Some guys got together at the office and decided to do that,” White said, during the post-fight media scrum for UFC on Fox 9. “I don’t know, I didn’t determine it.”
When asked why the organization would suddenly raise the PPV fee for one of its biggest shows of the year, White shrugged and said, “’Cause.”
Asked how the company determined exactly how much to inflate the charge, White admitted, “I have no idea.”
So there you have it. The man who is typically the authoritative source on all things UFC says he doesn’t know much about this one-time-only price hike and, what’s more, he doesn’t seem to want to talk about it.
Perhaps that fact alone tells us everything we need to know. Maybe White and the UFC are smart enough to realize some of what’s going on here is better left unsaid.
The truth is, we already know the answers to these questions, don’t we? Even if White wouldn’t come right out and say it, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why the company might want to charge a few extra dollars for a PPV featuring Anderson Silva’s hotly anticipated rematch with Chris Weidman.
Because it can.
It knows most of us will grumble and mumble our complaints but then tune in anyway to watch one of the biggest fights in UFC history.
Granted, on the surface the decision appears to fly in the face of the promotion’s current talking points. Raising prices doesn’t jive with White’s continued assertion that the UFC’s numbers are down across the board and sponsorship money is scarce for fighters because the economy continues to slump. Nor does it bode well for an organization so vocal (and litigious) in its efforts to quell online piracy.
If White is right about the economy, and the UFC is justified in its fears regarding digital hijacking, then it’s hard to see how the company can defend asking fans to bear an added financial burden to enjoy the spoils of UFC 168. In fact, it’s pretty nakedly contradicting itself with a decision that will only exacerbate both factors.
Maybe that’s why White’s not even bothering trying to explain.
Because let’s also not kid ourselves. What’s going on here is entirely pragmatic.
Early estimates say this PPV could crest one million buys, and the president himself is on record saying he believes it’ll be the fight promotion’s biggest show ever.
Add to that the fact that the UFC’s biggest longstanding draw (Georges St-Pierre) just announced an indefinite leave of absence, that its heavyweight champion (Cain Velasquez) expects to miss most of 2014 with a shoulder injury and its lightweight champ (Anthony Pettis) just had knee surgery, and the picture is cast in even sharper relief.
If raising the price of UFC 168 is a boldfaced cash-grab, it’s a well-timed one.
It’s a decision fans might not like, but it’s also surely one they’ll understand. Hard to blame the UFC, actually, if right now it feels like it might want to sock away some cash for a rainy day. Or, you know, further retirements, economic collapses and schedule-shattering injuries.
While the implications here are a bit troubling—after the UFC raises prices once, it’ll be easier to do it for the next big fight and the next—it’s tough to be too mad, even if White admits he’s taking an uncharacteristically hands-off approach to how fans might be feeling.
“I haven’t heard any feedback,” he said. “I’m sure a lot of people aren’t thrilled about it but, what are you gonna do?”
Grit our teeth and take it, I guess. And hope it doesn’t become a habit.
UFC on Fox 9 is in the books. The results from Saturday night in Sacramento, Calif., are as follows:
UFC on Fox 9 Main Card
Demetrious Johnson def. Joseph Benavidez, knockout (Round 1, 2:52)
Urijah Faber def. Michael McDonald, submission (Round 2, 3…
UFC on Fox 9 is in the books. The results from Saturday night in Sacramento, Calif., are as follows:
UFC on Fox 9 Main Card
Demetrious Johnson def. Joseph Benavidez, knockout (Round 1, 2:52)
Urijah Faber def. Michael McDonald, submission (Round 2, 3:22)
Chad Mendes def. NikLentz, unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
Joe Lauzon def. Mac Danzig, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Fox Sports 1 Prelims
Ryan LaFlare def. Court McGee, unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
EdsonBarboza def. Danny Castillo, majority decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-28)
Bobby Green def. Pat Healy, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Zach Makovsky def. Scott Jorgensen, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Sam Stout def. Cody McKenzie, unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Abel Trujillo def. Roger Bowling, TKO (Round 2, 1:35)
Facebook Prelims
AlptekinOzkilic def. Darren Uyenoyama, split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
Next up is the hyper-stacked UFC 168. Headlined by two epic title rematches in Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate 2 and Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva 2, we all have an enormous night of fights to look forward to.
So what topics are worth discussing ahead of the card? Find out right here!
(And to think, it only took a few hours of physical intimidation “spiritual encouragement” for Dana to see the light.)
In his past three fights, Vitor Belfort has looked less like a physically gifted athlete re-entering the prime of his career and more like the Batman & Robin version of Bane on a bath salt-induced rampage across Brazil.
After racking up consecutive “Knockout of the Night” victories over Michael Bisping (yay!), Luke Rockhold (whatever!) and Dan Henderson (NO, GOD! PLEASE NO! NOOOOOOOO!!!), Dana White recently confirmed with Fox Sports that Belfort will be next in line for a middleweight title shot regardless of who emerges victorious from the Anderson Silva-Chris Weidman rematch at UFC 168:
[Ed] Soares was telling me that Anderson absolutely thinks Vitor deserves another shot,” White said. “The next move for him will be Vitor Belfort. If Anderson Silva doesn’t win this fight, Chris Weidman and Vitor.
Perhaps this snippet was taken out of context, but it would appear that Old Dana does not have the utmost faith in his newly-appointed middleweight champion. Luckily, there are guys like Belfort in the UFC who can help “correct” Dana’s lack of faith via a brief motivational beating. If you know what I’m saying.
White also continued to tease the possibility of a Silva-Jones Jr. boxing match, but let’s just take baby steps here. Vitor Belfort is next in line, and he will either rampage through whoever emerges victorious from the Silva-Weidman rubble or end up sucking the wrong set of toes again.
(And to think, it only took a few hours of physical intimidation ”spiritual encouragement” for Dana to see the light.)
In his past three fights, Vitor Belfort has looked less like a physically gifted athlete re-entering the prime of his career and more like the Batman & Robin version of Bane on a bath salt-induced rampage across Brazil.
After racking up consecutive “Knockout of the Night” victories over Michael Bisping (yay!), Luke Rockhold (whatever!) and Dan Henderson (NO, GOD! PLEASE NO! NOOOOOOOO!!!), Dana White recently confirmed with Fox Sports that Belfort will be next in line for a middleweight title shot regardless of who emerges victorious from the Anderson Silva-Chris Weidman rematch at UFC 168:
[Ed] Soares was telling me that Anderson absolutely thinks Vitor deserves another shot,” White said. “The next move for him will be Vitor Belfort. If Anderson Silva doesn’t win this fight, Chris Weidman and Vitor.
Perhaps this snippet was taken out of context, but it would appear that Old Dana does not have the utmost faith in his newly-appointed middleweight champion. Luckily, there are guys like Belfort in the UFC who can help “correct” Dana’s lack of faith via a brief motivational beating. If you know what I’m saying.
White also continued to tease the possibility of a Silva-Jones Jr. boxing match, but let’s just take baby steps here. Vitor Belfort is next in line, and he will either rampage through whoever emerges victorious from the Silva-Weidman rubble or end up sucking the wrong set of toes again.
Not that long ago, Junior dos Santos was getting knocked around a cage in Texas on his way to losing a world title fight.
