Dana White wants to ensure Weidman is healthy before booking fight with Belfort

Dana White, president of the UFC, stated that he plans to schedule the next defense of the middleweight belt, currently held by Chris Weidman, for May or July. However, everything will depend on the champion's physical condition.

After hitting Anderson Silva for the second time, at UFC 168, Weidman revealed that he had been suffering from a knee injury caused during his training. Therefore, even if White wants to marry Weidman's fight against Vitor belfort close to Memorial Day (in May, dedicated to North American soldiers killed in combat) or Independence Day (in July), this will depend on the results of the exams to be taken by the fighter.

“We want it to be either May or July, so we'll see what happens with it. But we are waiting for the results of the MRI that will be done on the knee”, said White, at a press conference.

Weidman has already expressed to the UFC president that he would like to take the summer off in the United States (between June and September), which means that the fight with Belfort should take place in the first half of 2014. “He said he wants to spend the summer with his family, and, as he lives in the east [of the United States] I don’t blame him”, concluded the leader.