Despite an embarrassing knockout loss to Chris Weidman at UFC 162, former long-time middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva sounds like he doesn’t plan on changing his point of attack much in the rematch.
Speaking to Brazilian media outlet Globo TV on Sunday, Silva explained that he doesn’t think he ever disrespected Weidman with his excessive taunting mid-fight.
"If Muhammad Ali came up saying I wasn’t humble, then I’d think if I was humble or not," he said. "There was no lack of respect. I respect everybody. All the provocation, hands down... It should continue, it’s part of the show."
After losing the first round on two of the three judges’ scorecards, Silva began showboating excessively in the second frame in hopes of goading “The All-American” into making a mistake.
However, the plan backfired, as Weidman managed to get inside and drop the Brazilian legend with a left hook right on the chin.
The follow-up shots on the ground were a mere formality at that point, as “The Spider” was clearly knocked unconscious by the hook.
The Brazilian pound-for-pound great said even with the showboating still in tact, he thinks he’ll be better prepared for Weidman the second time.
"Nobody likes to lose," Silva said. "I train four months to win. But you end [up] learning with your mistakes, and I learned the worst way possible.”
“After everything that happened, we calm down and I realized I had something to question, even question Anderson Silva. I lost to myself, and that’s the worst loss. Losing by knockout shakes you, [it] will be in history, but will leave a lesson."
Silva also stated that “it’s not my time yet” as far as retirement goes, and one of his many coaches, Cesario Bezerra, said he’s “100 percent” certain Silva will turn the tables and finish Weidman inside two rounds this time around.
Also worth noting is that earlier in the separate interview with Globo TV, Bezerra recalled that warned Silva about no longer being humble in his training camp for the fight with Weidman at UFC 162.
On Saturday night, UFC President Dana White announced that Weidman vs. Silva II will headline UFC 168 on December 28, once again at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Will Silva avenge the only knockout loss of his career or will the undefeated prospect prove he really is the next big thing at 185-pounds?