Chris Weidman’s campaign for a title shot against UFC middlweight champion Anderson Silva continues.
The Long Island native says he would be Silva’s “biggest challenge” and “a bad matchup” for the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world in a UFC-sponsored Q&A in Denver before Saturday night’s UFC 150.
“I don’t only believe I can beat him, I really believe I can go out there and finish him,” Weidman said. “That’s the mentality I’m going to have going into that fight.”
After the 28-year-old’s utter demolition of contender Mark Munoz last month at UFC on FX, Weidman was the chic pick to get the next shot at Silva. Since then, Silva’s camp has wanted nothing to do with the young fighter who was an All-American wrestler at Hofstra, something Weidman says is “frustrating.”
Silva’s reps have repeatedly said that Weidman isn’t a big enough name to face the champion. Weidman thinks he’ll be a plenty big draw after the fight.
“I truly believe I can beat him,” Weidman said. “I wouldn’t be asking for this fight if I didn’t believe it.”
Weidman has said he is focusing on Silva and no one else right now, because the “UFC is telling me that’s the fight that has a good chance of happening.” UFC president Dana White, though, has said that Georges St. Pierre could be the next opponent for Silva if the welterweight champion can beat Carlos Condit in November.
It is foreseeable that before the St. Pierre fight – if there is one – Silva could face Weidman while he waits. Whether or not he wants to remains to be seen. We certainly know where Weidman stands.
“It’s gonna be awesome to beat Anderson Silva,” he said.