On July 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, UFC 162 hits with a highly anticipated middleweight clash as pound-four-pound king Anderson Silva (33-4) aims to defend his title for the 11th time, against top 185lb contender Chris Weidman (9-0).
Pre-fight analysis has been heavily focussed on Weidman supposedly being the Brazilian’s greatest threat to date. With youth on his side, the 29-year-old’s aggressive wrestling base and ferocity is winning over a large number of fans as well as fighters, who believe the NCAA- All American is the man to topple Silva.
One such fighter is UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre. Last month, ‘GSP’ spoke with Canada’s SportsNet, explaining this is the best time to face Weidman due to his return from an injury. However, if Weidman is well prepared, the American will be too much for ‘The Spider’ to handle.
“My friend, Chris Weidman, I see him in training, and I believe he is going to beat Anderson Silva,” said St. Pierre. “I believe it’s a bad matchup for Anderson Silva — very bad. Not only is he going to beat him, I believe he’s going to finish Anderson Silva. I believe it’s not going to be too long, that fight. People will be shocked.
“Anderson is very smart, because Chris Weidman is coming back from an injury [after] a long layoff. So, it’s the time to fight him, right now. It’s going to be the best time to fight Chris Weidman, so Chris needs to make sure he is very well-prepared for this fight.”
During Tuesday’s UFC 162 media conference call, Silva responded to GSP’s prediction via translator; “Imagine if I were to start listening to everything that people say, St. Pierre had his chance to pronounce himself about fighting me, and he didn’t do it. That’s what he chose to say, and that’s fine, but I’m not paying attention to what everyone else is saying.”
A catch-weight super-fight between Silva and St-pierre has been in high demand for some time now, although previously, the Canadian appeared most reluctant to engage the idea.
On a 17-fight win streak, Silva has stormed through the vast majority of challengers with shocking ease. As expected, the 38-year-old champion remains confident in his experience, ability, and sublime skill, respectfully accepting that every challenger presents a significant challenge.
“Every new fight is a new challenge, and it will be up to whoever is better prepared and who feels better that night,” said Silva. “Win or lose, a loss and a win are always walking side by side. That doesn’t really matter, because I’ve been doing this since I was eight years old, and there are always new challenges. My biggest concern is going out there and doing better for myself. I’m not concerned about what my opponents do. I want to better myself.”
Brought to you by Jorden Curran. Follow Jorden on Twitter @onejcurran
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