It turns out that he is human.
That he is capable of making mistakes and the biggest mistake Anderson Silva has made to date in his glittering mixed martial arts career was not respecting Chris Weidman.
Underdog Weidman stunned the UFC when he knocked out Silva and stopped his seven year reign at the top of the middleweight division, after a stoppage victory 74 seconds into the second round at UFC 162.
Silva constantly taunted his opponent, goading him to come forward, standing with his hands literally on his hips before he finally was caught flat-flooted.
Weidman clipped the champion with a shot which prompted more clowning from Silva as he faked that he was stunned.
Sensing either an opportunity or blood in the water, Weidman pushed forward missing twice, before catching the champion flush with a left.
Silva’s eyes rolled back into his head as he was knocked down with a heavy right hand by Weidman seeing Silva’s head bounce off the canvas, before shots prompted referee Herb Dean to step in.
The capacity crowd at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas was left stunned as Silva beat himself as much as Weidman’s striking did, with the showboating moves backfiring in the most spectacular of fashions.
Weidman said he knew Silva would try and put on a show and in fact trained for it.
“I was ready for it,” the new champion said.
“It pisses me off when someone tries to do that to me. I just knew little by little, I was going to creep on him, and when he slept, I was going to get him.”
“We brought in guys to come in there and to play games and mess with my head and it pisses me off when guys do it but it worked.
“No one invincible but I’d love to do a rematch of that’s what he wants.”
UFC president Dana White before the fight said if Silva lost he would get an immediate rematch.
When asked after the fight if he wants to try and take his title back, the former champion said he was done fighting for belts.
The shock news prompted a follow up question as to if the 38-year-old was in fact retiring from the sport all together.
“No, no, I have 10 more fights,” he said.
“But I don’t fight anymore for the belt. I’m tired. I’ve fought for a long time. My (plan) for the belt is finished tonight. Chris is the new champion.”
The loss and Silva’s announcement he is done fighting for belts has poured cold water on suggestions of a superfight between either Georges St-Pierre or Jon Jones, unless the former champion has a change of mind.
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