Chris Weidman wants to make beating Anderson Silva look easy
Aside from Chael can anyone ever recall any opponent of Silva’s sounding so confident before facing quite possibly the best MMA fighter in the history of the sport?
If there’s one thing Weidman has in spades, it’s confidence, but on top of that, he’s also proving to be rather wise when it comes to the fight game and the psychology involved with being and becoming a champion.
In a recent interview with The Fight Network’s “5 Rounds”, Weidman had some interesting things to say regarding the psychological and mental aspect of Anderson’s victories as being won outside of the cage before ever happens in the octagon:
“I’m a huge fan of Anderson Silva. He’s one of my favorite fighters to watch. Obviously he has 16 fights in a row with the UFC, defended his belt, whatever it is. He does a great job, he is so confident. He is beating most of guys before they even walk in the cage. Once they get in the cage with them, he does such a great job of making them feel like they do not belong in the cage with him, like, ‘Are you joking me? You are not on my level.’ He makes them feel so uncomfortable that they just want to break. He has them broken and then he can hit them with whatever he wants and then he looks like a freaking God. I agree and I do think he is the best of all time. He is pound-for-pound the best, but I think I’m better. I think I can beat him. There’s a lot of motivation for the fight. One of the biggest for me is to prove all of those people that actually think I’m going to get killed and see him as unbeatable. I can’t wait to prove them wrong. I want to make it look easy out there. I want to shock the world.”
As a challenger to Silva, looking to dethrone the champion and take his belt, it’s definitely a smart move from both a mental preparation and a marketing factor to downplay or devalue the myth that is Anderson Silva.
Not one of us doubt Silva’s accomplishments, skills or abilities, but at the same time, maybe there is something to this bold claim that Weidman happens to be making.
Maybe the champion real is fooling us into thinking he’s much better than he is. Maybe his aura and mystique really does make his opponents cower in fear, hesitate or think twice about making a mistake or leaving an opening.
If there’s one thing there has been an abundance of however, it’s fighters who talk the talk. No fighter as of yet however, has managed to walk the walk.
Could Chris Weidman be that fighter? Let us know what you think.
Chris Weidman clip is at 10:40
