Bruno Silva, who is set to fight Chris Weidman at UFC Atlantic City, has said that retiring Weidman in what he considers the biggest fight of his career would be unique, as he values legacy over belts and would prefer to become UFC champion after fighting the best, rather than beating five nobodies.
Chris Weidman and his history with Brazilian fighters in the UFC is a tale well told. Bruno Silva, the next in line, is all set to face Weidman at UFC Atlantic City. Now, wouldn’t it be something if he’s the last Brazilian to do so?
Silva and Weidman are headlining Saturday’s UFC show in New Jersey. In a chat with MMA Fighting’s Trocação Franca podcast, Silva confessed. Retiring Weidman in what he calls “the biggest fight of my career” would be something. It’s not just about Weidman’s standing in the sport. It’s about Silva’s own ambition of chasing legacy over belts.
Silva’s approach to fighting is different. “People look too much at the belt. I see the path to the belt instead,” he said. He posed a question. Would you rather be a UFC champion by beating five nobodies or after 20 fights against the best? He’d pick the latter any day. His record speaks for itself. Shlemenko, Frolov, Tavares, Pereira, Allen, Weidman. Quite a lineup, eh?
Silva continued, “It’s the mission.” He’d rather take the tough road to legacy than the easy one to a belt. He’s not even sure if a belt would make him happy. Happiness over a belt, any day. The belt is a result of his work and it will come. But he wants to live the moment, enjoy life and his career. There’s still a lot to happen in his career. If Weidman’s career is nearing its end, that’s his decision. Silva hopes he’s at peace with his family.
Silva was fresh off sparring in Curitiba, Brazil when his manager called. The news? He’d face Weidman on March 30. The celebration was instant. They were ecstatic at the prospect of fighting a legend.
Weidman has a record. Six wins out of seven bouts against Brazilians in MMA. His title wins over Anderson Silva, Lyoto Machida, and Vitor Belfort are notable. Silva hopes to join Ronaldo Souza as the only Brazilian to break that trend. And he wants to do it with a knockout.
Silva observed, “Weidman has always had the same game.” Not a striker but a good wrestler with a good head. Age and injuries have taken a toll though. If Weidman plans to end his career against Silva, he predicts it’ll end with a loss. He’s aiming for a knockout. It would be his 20th and a big name on his résumé.
Weidman has had his share of injuries, including recent leg fractures. But Silva, a fierce striker, won’t target his leg right away. “People keep saying, ‘Kick his leg, kick his leg,’ but Chris Weidman has probably trained that because he knows it’s a hole [in his game],” Silva said. He doesn’t want to give Weidman an easy takedown. He wants to end it on the feet. His hunger, he believes, will make the difference in this fight.