Ray Longo: Vitor Belfort Needs To Man Up, Stop Lying & Play By The Rules
UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman met with Lyoto Machida at this past Saturday’s UFC 175, and put on a spectacular show to retain his middleweight title. The win wasn’t without adversity for ‘The All-American’, as he was hurt late on and visibly wobbled. The tough Serra-Longo product battled on though, and truly earned his stripes against ‘The Dragon’.
Weidman’s difficulties weren’t only confined to fight night, as we know he had double knee surgery in the time after UFC 168, but he is also reported to have torn ligaments in his hand during fight camp for UFC 175. Weidman’s coach Ray Longo stopped by to talk with MMAFighting in the wake of The Ultimate Fighter 19 finals, where he cornered victorious Eddie Gordon for his first round KO win:
“I’m gonna say this, not bragging, I said to him before the fight ‘I believe you can beat him with one hand’. The thing with the hand was that it didn’t effect his wrestling. He did a lot of kicking, and he could throw the left elbow. He tapped it on a focus mitt in training and he was wincing in pain. If anyone could do it, Weidman is the guy, I have so much belief in him. I mean, banged up knees, double surgery, busted up hand, I think he went out there and showed the world what a tough SOB this kid is.”
The win did a world of good for Weidman’s stock, after coming under some unfair criticism in the wake of his wins over Anderson Silva. With his legitimacy pretty much stamped, we look forward to seeing who is next for the champion. Vitor Belfort called out ‘The All-American’ in the wake of UFC 175, and Ray Longo has his own message for ‘The Phenom’:
“Play by the rules, man up, don’t be a liar. I mean, what do we stand for? You’ve got kids, and you’re lying to everyone. Just play by the rules, and Weidman will fight him any day of the week”
Originally scheduled to make his second title defense against Belfort at UFC 173, Weidman was bumped from the card and booked against Machida when ‘The Phenom’ backed out. The controversy came amidst a chaotic storm of rule changes regarding TRT, and the eventual ban proved to be a lot of trouble for guys like Belfort and Chael Sonnen.
All that said, it is looking increasingly likely that Belfort will get his shot at the championship belt. Do you think the war-torn veteran can complete his career revival, or will the younger champion add another legend and former champion to his record?
