Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman and former division kingpin Anderson Silva are set to tie a big bow on the year when the two collide at UFC 168 on Dec. 28, 2013, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Weidman shocked the mixed martial arts (MMA) world earlier this year at UFC 162 when he knocked out "The Spider" in the first round (video here) to claim the 185-pound title and end the Brazilian bomber's dominant reign atop the division.
While most attributed the loss to Silva's showboating, Ray Longo -- Weidman's head trainer -- was adamant that "All American" was "just that good."
And his star pupil is ready to show the MMA world that his first win wasn't a fluke as he recently said during his appearance on "The MMA Hour:"
"I think everybody's excited. The first one was very exciting also. We want to put a stamp on what he did the first time and I think Chris is focused. Training camp is going excellent and we're ready to roll. He's ready to show everybody the first time wasn't a fluke."
If a knockout win over one of the greatest to ever compete in the sport of MMA wasn't enough, Team Wiedman, apparently, is eyeing a submission win this time around. "All American" is more than ready; in fact, if he had the chance, he'd fight Silva tomorrow.
Longo explains:
"We kind of kept it (training) similar. We brought in a boxer from upstate who was really good, fast hands, southpaw, you know, 185. We kinda kept the same guys, but added some guys. Listen, he's ready to go tomorrow. I wish the fight was Saturday. His weight is perfect. He's been an animal in the gym. His sparring is perfect. Everything is point on -- we're looking for a great fight. I think we're looking at a submission this time. Whatever he feels like doing, I think he can take this fight anywhere he wants to."
Wiedman -- a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt -- will have his work cut out for him if he wants to submit Silva, a man who holds black belt in the discipline under Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Then again, not many believed Weidman could defeat Silva, much less knock him out.