The MMA Daily

In Mixed Martial Arts, perhaps no one has had a year quite like Chris Weidman. A year in which history was made and cemented, as the pound for pound kingpin Anderson Silva fell twice to defeat against Chris Weidman. And although fans will continue doubt Chris Weidman, citing his two victories as “flukes”, how many rounds or how about minutes did Anderson Silva win in their two fights? None, might be the answer… And, that’s not to discredit Anderson Silva, but to give Weidman his due. He is the middleweight champion, and he’s done what no one else could do in the UFC, not once but twice in the same year. Also, despite Anderson Silva’s last two defeats, I still consider him the greatest of all time, with George St. Pierre and Fedor Emelianenko close behind.

Now, with Anderson Silva behind him, Weidman will defend his belt against Vitor Belfort. Belfort, ranked #3 in my rankings, will look to continue a scary 2013 campaign that included knockout wins over ranked opponents such as Michael Bisping, Luke Rockhold and Dan Henderson. With UFC gold within grasp once again, it will be interesting to see what Belfort does with this opportunity. 

As for Chris Weidman, a win over Vitor Belfort would help solidify his claim as one of the pound for pound best. Not only that, but it would be another name to the resume, one in which is starting to look a lot like the start to a legacy.