Former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman did the unthinkable when he sent Anderson Silva crashing down to the mat, knocking him out with a glancing blow. While Weidman’s title reign did not last as long as he had hoped, he proved that he truly is a champion with his defenses against Silva in a rematch, Vitor Belfort, and Lyoto Machida.
Now, coming fresh off a knockout loss to Yoel Romero, Weidman is looking to prove once again that he is championship material this Saturday when he meets Gegard Mousasi in the co-main event of “UFC 210”. Despite being ranked in the top five, the middleweight division is so log-jammed that a win over one of their top contenders may not earn him a shot at the gold. The champion, Michael Bisping, is currently tied up with plans to fight Georges St-Pierre who has been out of action for multiple years.
Needless to say, Weidman’s noticed that the way you get title shots in the UFC has changed drastically. Weidman opened up during a conference call [via. Sherdog]:
“I know you keep winning and you get the title shot. I’ve had it before and I didn’t expect to get it after a loss. It’s gonna happen with wins. I think the sport’s changed a little bit with the belt system, but I don’t think it’s going to affect me.”
“I need to prove myself. I’ve got to put on some good performances. That’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna go out there and put on a good performance….and hope that people back me and they want to see me fight for the title. We’ll see what’s going on. If not, I’m gonna keep on fighting whoever they put in front of me.”
