Leading up to the fight, a lot of UFC fighter, including Frankie Edgar, GSP and Chael Sonnen, thought that the Long Island native could put an end to the Brazilian's win streak, with a strong wrestling base. The beginning of the first round went exactly as they predicted, as Weidman easily got a takedown and began a vicious ground and pound, similar to Sonnen's first fight with Silva. After Anderson wiggled out of a heel hook though, it appeared that Silva was trying to goad Weidman into his style of fight. Silva was taunting Weidman by keeping his hands down and bobbing and weaving, hoping to find an opening like he's found countless times before. As the first round ended, it looked to me like Weidman was becoming frustrated, as Silva hugged and kissed him.
The second round started like the first round ended, with Silva showboating, with his Matrix-like defense. However, after Silva taunted Weidman by pretending to be out on his feet, Weidman hit Silva right on the button, knocking him down and out.
The Brazilian-heavy crowd turned on their national hero after the fight, cheering for Weidman and booing Silva during Joe Rogan's post fight interviews. Silva gave off a weird vibe during his interview, congratulating Weidman, and hinting that the title had become a burden on him, initially turning down an immediate rematch. At the post-fight press conference, Dana White said he respects Anderson's decision to take some time off before deciding what his next move is going to be.
It has been almost 24 hours since the fight, and I'm still speechless. Even though I thought Weidman had a legit chance at the upset, I never saw it ending the way it did. This loss will quiet all the talk of superfights with everyone from Georges St Pierre to Jon Jones, and even a proposed boxing match against Roy Jones Jr. As far as Anderson's legacy is concerned, I really don't feel like this loss did too much damage. In combat sports it is nearly impossible to keep a winning streak alive, since one slip-up can leave you staring up at the lights. This just makes what Floyd Mayweather has done even more impressive.
I agree with Dana, that the idea the fight was a fix is a "fucking joke", but Anderson didn't seem to be taking Weidman as seriously as he should of leading up to and during the fight. If anything, let's hope that his actions teach the up-and-coming stars that those types of antics are a no-no in the cage. The only damper on the night, is that a lot of MMA pundits aren't giving Chris Weidman enough credit, instead saying that Anderson cost himself the fight. Weidman has had a rough year, since his house was badly damaged during Hurricane Sandy, and this win is life-changing.
I will be shocked if Anderson doesn't change his mind, and these two men will enter the Octagon one more time soon (it's been rumored already by Dave Meltzer that they may main event in New Jersey Super Bowl weekend). If we don't see the rematch, Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami are two potential challengers for the belt.
The main event overshadowed what was a really fun show. In the co-main event, Frankie Edgar and Charles Oliveira put on a war, with non-stop action that has become the norm when "The Answer" fights. Frankie used a combination of boxing and wrestling to stop the Brazilian, and get his first win at 145 pounds. An elated Edgar said "T.R. (Toms River), NJ, take this ride with me again. Let's go!!!". I think either Ricardo Lamas or Chad Mendes makes sense as potential future opponents for Edgar as he tries to climb the ladder for a rematch with Jose Aldo.
It was a great night for the 145-pounders as Cub Swanson and Dennis Siver had a great fight (Edgar and Swanson both won Fight of the Night) as Swanson knocked Siver out at 2:24 of the third round. With this win, Swanson may have done enough to earn a shot against the winner of Aldo-Korean Zombie.
After a rough year, it was nice to see Mark Munoz rebound with an impressive performance against Tim Boetsch. Munoz seemed to be in great shape, and was very aggressive on his way to a unanimous decision. Edson Barboza is shooting up the Lightweight ranks, with a violent win against Rafaello Oliveira, chopping him down and eventually finishing him with leg kicks.
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