Report: Anderson Silva to face Chris Weidman on July 6th

Months and months of speculation has already been running running rampant regarding Anderson Silva‘s next bout. Today a rumor has surfaced via Tatame that places the all-time great champion versus consensus number one contender Chris Weidman for the Middleweight title this summer.

While Silva’s management has frequently stated that the Weidman fight is not on the top of their list, it may in fact become a reality. The UFC traditionally puts on a blockbuster card around the 4th of July, and this would no doubt headline that event from Las Vegas. 

Although nothing concrete is confirmed as of right now, if it does come to fruition, then any proposed superfights with Jon Jones or Georges St-Pierre would be put off for quite some time. With those potential opponents having bouts scheduled as of now anyway, talk has settled down for the time being.

For Weidman, this would be quite the welcome back to the Octagon. Slated to face Tim Boetsch at last December’s UFC 155, he was unfortunately sidelined by shoulder surgery and is on the mend. Many of the Middleweight challengers clamoring for a shot at Silva, such as Michael Bisping, Boetsch, and Alan Belcher, lost their last fights so Weidman is the clear next in line.

Weidman’s manager Dave Martin commented on the subject, although vaguely:

“We have had some conversations, but still there’s nothing official. We are negotiating, though nothing is confirmed.”

Anderson Silva has of course expressed a desire to take most of this year off in order to take care of ventures outside of the cage. Weidman’s talent and dominance cannot be denied, but he may be facing a bit of ring rust, something that could become a glaring problem when facing off against The Spider.

Right now, the bout remains in question but may be the most logical next step for the UFC and its most dominant champion. Is Silva versus Weidman the next Middleweight title bout you want to see?