Anderson "The Spider" Silva 33-4-0, 20 KO), almost universally held up as the No. 1 or No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts, is set for a showdown with Chris Weidman (9-0-0, 3 KO) at UFC 162, which will be held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Weidman, at 29 years old, is just 9-0 but has run rampant through opponents in Ring of Combat, as well as in the UFC. Weidman is a well-rounded battler, recording three knockouts/technical knockouts, three submissions, and three decisions.
In his last fight, he knocked out well-respected fighter Mark Munoz, raining fists and elbows upon him early in the second round. Weidman is a real threat to Silva's dominance, and some are predicting an upset. He is also extremely hungry to knock Silva off his pound-for-pound perch, which would place him in the annals of UFC history forever.
"As soon as I started my first sparring session ever and first learned how to strike, I envisioned beating Anderson Silva," Weidman said.
A Silva loss isn't out of the question. While The Spider has long been a perfect mixed martial artist, capable of beating opponents in each and every way, he is 38 years old, no spring chicken for athletes in any sport. Still, he owns the UFC's longest winning streak (16 bouts), and has been victorious in 10 straight title defenses.
Silva, who has at times seemed bored in the octagon with overmatched opponents, does not seem to be taking Weidman lightly. In fact, he talked of the opportunity Weidman has to etch his name in the history books.
"I changed the life of Chris Weidman, because he fights for the belt," Silva said. "This is good. This is my legacy. This is what's important to me. Weidman has a chance at something. This is the UFC. This is the best sport in the world."
Weidman agrees.
"When I got into this sport, I wanted to be number one," Weidman said. "I wanted to have this pressure. To be the man, you gotta beat the man. This is where I wanted to be. If I wasn't here right now, if I wasn't dealing with these type of pressures, I wouldn't be happy."
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