Weidman (photo) will face Belfort in February. Photo: Disclosure/UFC
Chris Weidman exuded confidence when commenting on his fight against Vitor belfort during a question and answer session with Australian fans in Sydney in the lead-up to UFC Fight Night 55.
The Ultimate middleweight champion, who will face the Brazilian veteran at UFC 184 in February, stated that he intends to dominate his opponent in the fight, but admitted that his concern also lies in the anti-doping tests that Belfort recently underwent. “He had a test the other day and I really hope he passes. That's the first thing I think about. The second thing I think: on February 28th, I will completely dominate him”, said Weidman, who, however, said he was preparing for the best possible version of Belfort.
“I'm hoping to face a tougher Vitor, a better Vitor. I can't afford to think otherwise. I'm expecting a more durable guy because he has less muscle mass. This is science: when you have more muscle, you will produce more lactic acid and you won't be able to use it for as long as you want. It will be a great fight and I don’t want to belittle him”, analyzed the North American.
Asked by a fan who would be the main threat to his belt, Weidman was direct: “With all due respect to the entire division, no one is going to beat me at this weight. With all due respect. Everyone is talented, everyone can be a threat, but no one will defeat me”, he assured.
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Weidman leaves open a new fight with Anderson and jokes: 'Easy money'
Chris Weidman already defeated Anderson Silva on two occasions in 2013. Even so, the current champion would not rule out a new confrontation with the Brazilian fighter if Spider wins Nick Diaz early next year.
“If people want to see me against Anderson Silva for the third time, this is what will happen”, he said. Asked by a fan if the new fight would be easy money, he joked: “Yes, more or less. With all due respect”, he laughed.
Afterwards, when analyzing his trajectory towards the belt, Weidman resumed his serious tone and showed admiration for the Brazilian. “When I started in the sport, he was already the champion. It's crazy, because when I started, I admired him. I thought 'wow, this guy is good'. But as soon as I did my first workout, I believed I could beat him. And it took a few years for me to beat him. And then I beat him again. It's crazy when you have a goal – and my goal was to be the champion by winning Anderson Silva. When I started in the UFC, fighting in smaller events and preliminary cards, I didn't train to beat my opponents. I trained to defeat Anderson Silva, because he's the best of all time, the pound-for-pound king, that whole thing. Being able to face him and beat him is a huge feat, especially when I said that and everyone thought I was an idiot,” he said.
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