Immortality
Despite being a huge underdog coming in – as high as +245 in US-style odds – a lot of fellow fighters, including Georges St-Pierre and Rashad Evans, were picking Weidman to dethrone Silva, who’d looked unstoppable since beating Rich Franklin for the Middleweight title back in 2006. GSP was quoted as saying he felt like Weidman was a bad match for Silva, that his strengths were the champion’s weaknesses.
Personally, I was picking Weidman too.
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My reasoning? Since Silva had won the title the theory was always that a great wrestler – people used to say Matt Lindland during the early part of Silva’s reign – would be the one to dethrone him. And sure, Chael Sonnen had come closest.
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But my opinion was a little different. Silva’s chin was so strong that putting him away with ground strikes seemed nigh impossible, as did outstriking him standing. And a wrestler couldn’t hope to simply hold him down for five rounds. Sonnen had come close but Silva’s offensive weapons were so dangerous that lasting for the full 25 minutes was a horrendous challenge.
The one way to beat Silva, in my mind? It needed a wrestler good enough with strikes to set up a takedown, and good enough on the ground to tap him out. My first choice – back in 2006 – was David Terrell, but of course, the Soul Assassin could never overcome his own fragile body.
Weidman though fit the bill down to a tee.
The first round went down exactly how I’d expected; Weidman got a takedown early on and kept Silva down before going for a leglock. It didn’t work and the fighters came back to their feet, where Silva began his trademark taunting, even kissing Weidman as the round ended.
The second round has become a thing of legend.
Still “clowning”, Silva allowed Weidman to hit him and then faked being hurt. And then he attempted to lean out of the way of Weidman’s punches, Naseem Hamed-style. Only Weidman’s reach was much longer than Silva had realised and he hit with much more power than the champion could’ve expected.
Silva was knocked unconscious with the same left hook that Weidman had used to down Uriah Hall and the UFC had a new champion. Their most legendary champion had been knocked out by the kid from New York, the blue chipper.
