Machida: Weidman can stand with Belfort
“Vitor has a better chance in the first round and the first half of the second round because of his characteristics. But after that, I think Weidman’s chances are better.”
Chris Weidman is a former All America wrestler. Vitor Belfort has been one of the most dynamic strikers in the sports since the 90s, and last year became the first fighter in UFC history to knock out three fighters in a row via head kick. The pair fight at UFC 18 on December 6, 2014 in Las Vegas, live on PPV.
The obvious gameplan for Weidman is to take it to the ground, but in an interview with Guilherme Cruz for MMAFighting, Lyoto Machida thinks otherwise.
“I don’t think so,” said Machida. “Weidman is ready to fight anywhere. If he has to stand, he will. Vitor can obviously land a punch and end this, that’s what makes this sport so captivating, but I think he will be ready to fight him there.”
“It’s a good fight for both. They both stand a chance. We can’t underestimate either of them. Weidman has evolved a lot, has a big heart. Vitor is super talented, also evolved a lot, and is an athlete that works hard. When you have such a close fight like that, when it’s hard to break down, it’s hard to predict a result.”
“I think Vitor has a better chance in the first round and the first half of the second round because of his characteristics. But after that, I think Weidman’s chances are better than Vitor’s.”
What do you think UG? If you were Ray Longo, what you tell Weidman?