NY Giants Coach Tom Coughlin enlists Chris Weidman to motivate team for 'The Manning Bowl'

The Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) world was shocked on July 6, 2013 when Chris Weidman knocked out Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight Champion, Anderson Silva, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada in the main event of UFC 162.

The knockout was replayed everywhere and Weidman began his new life as a media darling, making the rounds on every television network. Since then, life has quieted down for Weidman quite a bit. That is until this afternoon (Sept. 15, 2013) when New York Giants Head Coach Tom Coughlin showed the July fight to help motivate his team against the Denver Broncos in what has been dubbed "The Manning Bowl."

New York Post has the story:

The Post cannot get you into Saturday night's team meeting but we can provide the next-best thing: A look into how Coughlin plans on ratcheting up the emotions of his team. He showed, according to sources, the July UFC fight between unheralded Long Island native Chris Weidman and heavily favored Anderson Silva, considered a legend in UFC circles. Form did not hold in this battle, as Weidman earned the title by knocking out Silva, who many believe is pound-for-pound the best fighter in UFC history.

This isn't the first time that a UFC fighter has helped motivate an NFL team. New York Jets coach Rex Ryan has enlisted the services of former UFC Lightweight champion Frankie Edgar numerous times to speak before games.

With the UFC's ever growing relationship with FOX and FOX Sports, it will likely become common practice for the stars of the Octagon to grace the NFL sidelines and locker rooms.

Unfortunately, this time around, the motivational footage didn't have its intended impact, as the Eli Manning-led Giants fell to the Peyton Manning-led Broncos 41-23.