To the majority of the UFC fanbase Chris Weidman was just another contender who was bound to become another one of Anderson Silva's statistics. However, there were those who believed that if anyone had a chance at defeating Silva it was Weidman. Weidman for his part also made it clear that he had no fear of Silva as other fighters had when they'd faced off against Silva. He only reinforced this confidence when he came into Tom Petty's song "Won't Back Down" at UFC 162. Everyone found out when the two finally faced off and witnessed Weidman control Silva in the first round. Then in the second round, Weidman figured out Silva's boxing style of bobbing and weaving and didn't fall for trying to recklessly finish Silva as so many had in the past. Instead he was patient in picking his shots and finally found his chin, putting an end to his longtime reign as king. Weidman showed a bit of emotion and humility when Dana White wrapped the strap around his waist.
Matthew Salzer fell in love with Mixed Martial Arts when he watched Pride Fighting Championships on Japanese TV. He is a lifelong wrestler having earned a Bachelor of Science at Missouri Baptist University. Matthew is the Senior Editor at MMA Freak and has written for Funky Monkey MMA, H4 Entertainment, and MMA Fiends.
