Chris Weidman Says Rematch With Anderson Silva A 'Done Deal'
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Chris Weidman is one tough Long Islander.
He's battled back from multiple surgeries. His home was gutted by Superstorm Sandy. So it was really no surprise when Weidman stood his ground against mixed martial arts great Anderson Silva at UFC 162 on Saturday.
His second-round knockout to grab the middleweight title, however, was quite a shocker.
Chris Weidman
"He kind of (ticked) me off," Weidman, appearing on WFAN's "Boomer & Carton" show, said of Silva, who taunted the 29-year-old by lowering his hands throughout the fight. "And I'm like, 'I wanna hit this guy.' He keeps playing games. I knew I was a different specimen than a lot of the other guys he's fought, and I think he knew that. So I was surprised he was doing it that much."
Silva (33-5) was asking for trouble, and Weidman (10-0) obliged with a quick left to end his seven-year reign as champ. He had won 17 straight fights before meeting the kid from Hofstra.
"I wasn't fooled by his mystique," Weidman said. "I understand he's very good. I respect him a ton. But I was in there to win. I wasn't going to beat myself."
Weidman said a rematch with Silva was a "done deal" and will happen either in December (Las Vegas) or February (New Jersey).
"We're going to have a rematch," Weidman said. "It's 100 percent."
Silva initially said he wasn't interested in a rematch.
"You know what? You just get knocked out and they're asking you questions," Weidman said. "He's all over the place, he doesn't know what he's really saying. Plus, he just lost for the first time in seven years. It's a surreal moment for him. ... It's happening. We're fighting again."
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