Chris Weidman: I Don’t Care What Anderson Silva Throws At Me, I’ll Be There

UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman won the title in spectacular fashion when he knocked out longtime champ Anderson Silva at UFC 162, taking “The Spider’s” aura of invincibility in addition to his belt.

But he knows that if he can’t beat Silva for a second time at UFC 168, his efforts will be all for naught. Weidman is far from content to rest on the laurels of his accomplishment. After a tumultuous 2012 that saw him endure shoulder surgery and the loss of his house from a hurricane, Weidman wants to keep his momentum rolling:

“”I have to beat Anderson Silva this next time. I have to solidify my first victory, and solidify myself as a champion by winning again. That’s where my heart is at, so it’s hard to sit back and enjoy my successes… I need to win this fight for me and my family.” – via MMAArtmartial.com

To do so Weidman is preparing for Silva in a very similar way as he did the first time. He expects the legendary “Spider” to fight the same way that he always does, dropping his hands to bob and weave while looking for a counter shot. It’s what he did in their first bout and it’s the strategy he used to rack up a record number of title defenses in the Octagon.

That doesn’t matter to Weidman, who plans on taking the fight to Silva once again:

“This is my game plan: I’m going to walk forward, I’m going to put pressure on him, I’m going to cut him off. If he has his hands down, I’m punching him in his face. If he has his hands up, and he’s expecting me to punch him in the face, I’m taking him down. I’m not afraid to get hit. I’m going to be walking forward with my chin down and my teeth gritted. I don’t care what he throws at me; I’m going to be there.”

Weidman has the right idea of not backing down from Silva’s antics. Judging from the first fight he obviously isn’t scared of him, something that spelled doom for several of Silva’s opponents before they even stepped into the Octagon.

“The Spider” has proclaimed that he’s “back,” and he will “give Chris back the knockout,” but questions still remain about Silva’s motivation to keep fighting. He was the champion for a long time and the buildup to his first fight with Weidman was quite strange. He even let “The All-American” hold the belt at the press conference.

Perhaps he doesn’t want to be champion anymore. Maybe he doesn’t even want to fight.

We’ll find out on December 28. Silva could easily go about his business as usual and nail Weidman with an effective counter shot to put his lights out. Or he could get taken down and submitted. There’s a ton of possibilities for this fight; that’s part of what makes it so exciting. The rematch will arguably be one of, if not the biggest bouts in MMA history.

This year has been an amazing year for MMA but the best may be yet to come. What is your prediction for the year-ending blockbuster?

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea for USA TODAY Sports