C. Weidman (photo) meets Spider again on December 28th. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
Last July 6th, Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva and won the UFC middleweight belt. In any situation, such a feat would be enough to put the new champion in a comfortable position, but the American's opponent was the greatest weight-for-pound athlete in MMA at the time and the longest-serving champion in UFC history. For all this, in a telephone conference with the press, Weidman acknowledged that he still feels pressure for the rematch on December 28th.
“I still feel like I have everything to lose in this fight. As I said before, I need to win this fight to establish myself as champion and to achieve my other long-term goals. I put a lot of pressure on myself. This is the same mentality as the last fight”, said the current champion.
Despite the pressure, Weidman stated that his rival's favoritism is justifiable. “I am fighting Anderson Silva. I wasn't a favorite last time and I don't expect to be this time. He's been in this sport for a long time, he's had his victories and done a lot for the UFC and mixed martial arts. He deserves to be the favorite,” he highlighted.
Finally, asked if a new provocative attitude from Spider, as occurred in the first duel between them, would be a nuisance, the North American said he was calm and prepared for any situation. “I'm not worried about that. I expect anything. He lets his guard down or stops with his hands on his hips. I don't know. I don't really care what he'll be doing. Whether his hands are up or down, that's his problem. Either way, it doesn’t matter to me,” he concluded.
On December 28, the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas (USA), will be the stage for the most anticipated rematch in Ultimate history. In the main fight of UFC 168, former champion Anderson Silva faces the current middleweight title holder Chris Weidman. In the co-main match of the event, TUF 18 coaches Misha Tate and Ronda Rousey they bring all the tension accumulated during the reality show to the octagon and face each other in a valid fight for the women's bantamweight category belt.
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