When Chris "The All-American" Weidman (7-0-0) got the call to fill in for Michael Bisping and fight former title contender Demian Maia on short notice at UFC on Fox 2, it was an offer and opportunity the NCAA D1 All-American wrestler could not refuse.
"I didn't want to lose the opportunity," Weidman told MMA Fighting on Wednesday. "You only live once. I have an opportunity to gain a lot of recognition and get myself up to where I want to be. So it was like, I'll do it tomorrow if I had to. Some people never get that opportunity, so who am I to waste it?"
Representing Serra-Longo Fight Team, Weidman has honed his already considerable grappling skills, transforming himself into one of the sport's most promising rising stars.
The opportunity however, is not without its share of risk as well; Maia has developed his game over time and the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion is not the one-dimensional fighter he once was when he first entered mixed martial arts. The strongest part of his game remains his submission grappling which poses some interesting questions Weidman will have to ask of himself, particularly, whether or not he wants this fight to be contested on the ground?
The strongest weapon in Weidman's arsenal is his wrestling, but the twenty-seven year old New Yorker has grown in leaps and bounds with respect to his Jiu Jitsu skill-set. Will we see the rangy middleweight opt for a standing approach? Only time will tell, but the American remains nothing but confident, regardless of where the fight goes.
"I'm not worried at all," he said. "I have a lot of respect for his jiu-jitsu, but if we go to the ground, I'm confident and excited to prove where I'm at with my jiu-jitsu. He's going to have a lot to worry about, too. If we go to the floor, I'm looking for submissions just like it's anybody else. I'm not the guy who's going to be starstruck. I believe in myself and I think I can go in there and submit him."
Has Chris Weidman bit off more than he can chew with an assignment that marks a great step up in competition - on short notice nonetheless - or will we see the birth of a new top-contender at 185lbs?
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"I didn't want to lose the opportunity," Weidman told MMA Fighting on Wednesday. "You only live once. I have an opportunity to gain a lot of recognition and get myself up to where I want to be. So it was like, I'll do it tomorrow if I had to. Some people never get that opportunity, so who am I to waste it?"
Representing Serra-Longo Fight Team, Weidman has honed his already considerable grappling skills, transforming himself into one of the sport's most promising rising stars.
The opportunity however, is not without its share of risk as well; Maia has developed his game over time and the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu world champion is not the one-dimensional fighter he once was when he first entered mixed martial arts. The strongest part of his game remains his submission grappling which poses some interesting questions Weidman will have to ask of himself, particularly, whether or not he wants this fight to be contested on the ground?
The strongest weapon in Weidman's arsenal is his wrestling, but the twenty-seven year old New Yorker has grown in leaps and bounds with respect to his Jiu Jitsu skill-set. Will we see the rangy middleweight opt for a standing approach? Only time will tell, but the American remains nothing but confident, regardless of where the fight goes.
"I'm not worried at all," he said. "I have a lot of respect for his jiu-jitsu, but if we go to the ground, I'm confident and excited to prove where I'm at with my jiu-jitsu. He's going to have a lot to worry about, too. If we go to the floor, I'm looking for submissions just like it's anybody else. I'm not the guy who's going to be starstruck. I believe in myself and I think I can go in there and submit him."
Has Chris Weidman bit off more than he can chew with an assignment that marks a great step up in competition - on short notice nonetheless - or will we see the birth of a new top-contender at 185lbs?
Check out our user-friendly mobile page!
Follow us on twitter @mmacombatDOTcom
facebook @ http://www.facebook.com/update_secur...63733427002469
youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/mmacomba...m?feature=mhum
Blogger: http://mmacombatdotcom.blogspot.com/
And on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/mmacombatdotcom
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