Anderson Silva’s spectacular stoppage of Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153 confirmed once again that “The Spider” is the best fighter on the organization’s roster, netting him a sixteenth straight victory inside the Octagon including fourteen finishes. Regardless of his success, at least one of Silva’s peers feels the pound-for-pound great is not all he’s cracked up to be – Chris Weidman.
Weidman was labeled as the middleweight division’s top contender after scoring a strike-based stoppage against Mark Munoz earlier this year. However, Silva’s camp came forward to state the unbeaten 28-year old needed to do more before earning the right to compete for the championship. In Weidman’s opinion, that decision was akin to Silva admitting he was afraid to face him no matter how brilliant the Brazilian may look in other match-ups.
“I took a lot of risks to get where I am this short into my career. It’s not like I just got here magically. I beat some good guys. I put myself in short-notice fights against top guys in the world. It’s not easy, and I was hoping it would pay off and get my shot against Anderson, but he’s ducking me,” explained Weidman in an interview with MMAJunkie. “I know I can beat Anderson. I got into this sport, and he was the champion at 185 pounds. He looked just as impressive then as he does now. I got into this sport knowing I could beat him from day one. I think I’m a terrible, terrible matchup for him. I think everybody knows it.”
Weidman “Shocked, Confused” and “Disappointed” by Silva’s Decision to Fight Bonnar
The 9-0 Weidman will attempt to cement his status as the #1 challenge to Silva’s belt in late December when he faces Tim Boetsch at UFC 155. Weidman is an accomplished wrestler with impressive BJJ to boot, making for an intriguing prospect as far as the type of test he’d provide for Silva considering the middleweight champion’s past problems with opponents possessing similar skill sets.
PHOTO CREDIT – UFC
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