Anderson Silva, the 38-year old UFC middleweight champion and pound-for-pound top fighter in mixed martial arts, will defend his belt for the 11th time tonight against up-and-comer Chris Weidman. The bout can be live streamed here, and will be televised on pay-per-view.
Anderson "The Spider" Silva is 33-4 with 20 knockouts to his credit, and has won a UFC-best 18 consecutive time. Although he's at an age considered advanced for most fighters, Silva is the rare exception who seems ageless.
In Silva's last fight against Stephan Bonnar, Silva was victorious by TKO after a vicious knee to Bonnar's midsection, followed by a bevy of blows. The last time Silva seemed in danger was against Chael Sonnen in 2010, when Sonnen outfought Silva for four and a half rounds, but was caught late in the fifth with a triangle choke.
Sonnen tested positive for steroids following that bout.
While Silva is certainly a frightening man to have standing across the octagon, Weidman is raring to go, and believes strongly in his ability to etch his name in UFC history.
Weidman is a balanced fighter; at 9-0 he has registered three knockouts, three decisions and three submissions. He also possesses a great deal of mental strength, according to UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson, one of Weidman's training partners.
"Chris is so mentally strong, it's almost difficult to explain. He knows he has everything he needs to win this fight and everything he does is with winning in mind."
While Weidman respects Silva's accomplishments in the sport, and even admits to being a fan of The Spider, he surely believes in himself when the two enter the cage. "As soon as I started my first sparring session ever and first learned how to strike, I envisioned beating Anderson Silva," Weidman said.
Now, he will get his chance.
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