It really is impossible to tell. We didn't see anything we didn't know. Can Silva fight better? Yes. Can he not clown? Yes. Can he still violently ko Weidman? Very likely. Weidmann had a good first round but before the ko he was looking a bit tired in the corner and became very static and inactive.
If Silva doesn't hold his lands low and hang his chin out Weidman is more likely to go for the take down. One thing struck me as Anderson was entering the cage: Joe Rogan, who is paid by the UFC to big up their fighters, listed all the 'elite' fighters Silva has beaten. That list went, Belfort, Franklin, Sonnen, Bonnar and Griffin. Weidman is arguably the best fighter Silva has faced in the UFC and he came up short. Add to that Weidmans youth, reach and wrestling and I personally would pick Weidman to win the rematch should it happen.
Anderson toyed about and nearly finished the fight half a dozen times If he would do a rematch and just go for the kill, then i reckon Chris would be ****ed But who knows? Im not counting that dude out ever again. He's fukcing aweomse
Anderson. As long as the KO hasn't ****ed him up, and he doesn't go all full ****** during the fight. Anderson can still keep his hands low and show some simblence of defence. He just chose to go all out in being an ass and paid for it.
Immediate rematch? I'd say a non playful Anderson wins. He was able to nullify Weidman's top game and get back to the feet where he should have won. Truthfully, I feel that a rematch is inevitable. Anderson is too good for middle road guys. He'll run through some guys. Then get the itch for a title again. But by then, Weidman will have more experience and age will have caught up to Anderson. So in an immediate rematch or a rematch within the year, I'd favor Anderson. In a future rematch a year or two from now? I'd favor Weidman.
The only thing I learned from this first fight is that weidman CANNOT take Anderson down at will, like so many were suggesting he could. After Anderson got back up from the first takedown, he stuffed the next 3 takedown attempts, and seemed to control the clinches. He was trying to clown weidman and make a serious and Embarassing statement because he most likely felt disrespected so many were picking against him. He made a mistake. But does anyone truly believe that IF Anderson came out in that 2nd round going for the kill, that Weidman could've defended himself?? I don't. In the rematch, I think Anderson is going to feel him out in the first, then quickly knock him out in the 2nd.
I watched it again and after the first takedown and GNP and sub attempt Weidman looked seriously gassed. Maybe it was nerves or an adrenaline dump. The first half of the first round made me think that beyond a shadow of any doubt that Jones would absolutely ****ing destroy Anderson and if Sonnen had any offensive striking at all he would have beaten Anderson as well. No matter how good guys are at striking, even at Andersons level, if you have no wrestling at all it is a huge hole in your game. Andersons clowning was him encouraging Weidman to kick box with him and avoid the ground at all costs. The strangest thing about the fight is that Anderson never even landed a glove on Weidman.
