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Who can beat Chris Weidman?

15th October, 2014
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Chris Weidman is the man to beat, but can anyone defeat him to take the middleweight title?
Roar Guru
15th October, 2014
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1641 Reads

When Chris Weidman (12-0) first knocked out Anderson Silva (33-6) to win the UFC Middleweight Championship, many people said that it wasn’t him who beat Silva, but that Silva beat himself.

In the second fight, Weidman came out with something to prove.

Anderson Silva may have suffered a nasty leg injury in this bout, but before that moment Weidman dominated the fight, and nearly took Silva out before the ex-champion made an incredible recovery.

In his latest title defence, Weidman defended his belt against Lyoto Machida (21-5) in an exciting match-up. He defeated the Dragon by unanimous decision, and not only showed his well-roundedness, heart and toughness but also showed why he deserved to be called the champion.

The question remains, who can take that belt away from him? Here is a look at how the current top contenders match up against the current middleweight champion of the world.

Vitor ‘The Phenom’ Belfort (24-10)
The Phenom has been on a tear as of late. In his last three fights, he finished all three opponents by knockout with a head kick. Belfort is the current number one contender and is set to take on Weidman at some point in 2015.

Belfort has been known for his use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) and many argue this has made him a different (and better) fighter – the effects certainly show on his appearance as well. Now that the Nevada State Athletic Commission has disallowed Belfort from using TRT, when he locks horns with Weidman in Vegas we could see a different Vitor Belfort.

That aside, the Phenom’s stand up ability is no joke. One of the most feared strikers in the UFC, he recently became the first man to finish Dan Henderson (30-12) with strikes. Where he would be at a disadvantage is in the wrestling department and the ground game. He would have trouble dealing with Weidman’s ability to mix strikes with takedowns, and could spend a lot of the time fighting off his back.

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This will be no easy fight for Weidman, but he is going to have the hometown advantage as well as the grappling advantage. If he can stay away from Belfort’s trusty left shin, he should be able to take Vitor down and grind his way to victory, if he isn’t able to submit his opponent first.

Prediction: Weidman via unanimous decision or submission.

Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida (21-5)
Although Machida already a lost to Weidman via unanimous decision in a very exciting match-up at UFC 175, we didn’t see the Dragon fight as aggressively as he did in his previous middleweight bouts. When he showed aggression, he managed to force Weidman back and put him in trouble.

Lyoto Machida is known for his very unique style, and has managed to find a way to use karate very effectively in the octagon. He has the ability to be frustratingly elusive, as he leaps into range to attack, then backs off out of danger when his opponent responds.

A second fight with Weidman could go very differently to the first. If Lyoto could stay away from the takedown attempts of Weidman, fight with the controlled aggression he used in his other middleweight bouts and hurt him earlier, he could be the next UFC fighter to win a belt in two different weight classes.

Machida showed in the first fight he could do all of this, but left it too late. If he learns from his mistakes from the first fight, it is very possible he would walk away a winner.

Prediction: Machida via KO/TKO (Round 2).

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Ronaldo ‘Jacare’ Souza (21-3-1)
After finishing both Yushin Okami (30-8) and Gegard Mousasi (35-5-2) in dominating fashion, Jacare solidified himself as true title contender, while proving he has both the skills to dominate and end fights either using his strikes or on the ground.

Unlike Machida and Belfort, Jacare would have a better chance against the the champion’s wrestling. He might also have the striking advantage as well. A bout between Weidman and Jacare would definitely make for an exciting one.

Prediction: Weidman via split decision.

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