Weidman KOs Silva, wins middleweight strap

Published on Sunday, 7/7/13, at 1:22 a.m. Eastern.

By Brian Edwards

Chris Weidman’s confidence never wavered. He told the MMA world for a year that he would take Anderson Silva’s middleweight title.

Silva had owned the belt for seven years. He had compiled an unprecedented 16-0 career record in the Octagon.

He became the G.O.A.T — Greatest of All-Time.

And then he got too big for his britches. Silva thought he was fighting Stephan Bonnar at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

The long-time 185-pound kingpin spent the last two minutes of the opening round taunting his opponent. Silva dropped his hands, showed his ass and tried to bait Weidman into losing his composure.

The Long Island native, who entered and left the cage draped in the American flag, would have nothing of it.

As Silva barked at him to come forward, Weidman did just that. He landed a thunderous, albeit short, left hook that sent Silva to the deck. The replays showed that Silva was out cold when he took the left.

But nobody knew that in real time. Weidman pounced on Silva and landed 4-5 hammer fists to the face as the Brazilian’s head bounced off the canvas.

And just like that Bruce Buffer was at the microphone announcing, “AND……….NEW! Middleweight Champion of the World, Chris Weidman.