UFC 187: Chris Weidman ready to show off 'new magic tricks' with finish over Vitor Belfort

Despite the numerous doubters who are quick to dismiss some of Chris Weidman's victories -- namely his two wins over Anderson Silva -- "All American" has seemingly gotten better each fight.

After swiftly defeating the aforementioned "Spider" to claim and defend the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title in consecutive bouts, Chris went the distance with former light heavyweight kingpin, Lyoto Machida, at UFC 175 last July in one of the most entertaining fights of the year.

Full video highlights here.

As he heads into his much-anticipated (and often delayed) title defense against another former champion, Vitor Belfort, at UFC 187 on May 23 in Las Vegas, Nevada, Chris intends to whip out some new tricks and show the mixed martial arts (MMA) world he's always evolving.

His words during yesterday's (May, 14, 2015) media conference call (via Sherdog):

"My goal every time out is to try and separate myself from the division and make a statement to the world. I like to prove to myself where my abilities are and [see] what my coaches think. I'm ready for this fight to make a statement and I'm looking for a finish. I've been off for awhile and I have been working on a lot of things. I have a lot of new techniques, many new magic tricks to bring to this game. I'm excited and comfortable enough to try them out in the Octagon. I've been practicing them a lot in sparring and in training, to bring it to another level, and I want to do it front of millions when a lot's on the line."

Listen to the full call here.

One of those new tricks could be his improved submission skills, as "All American" was recently awarded his jiu-jitsu black belt by trainer Renzo Gracie.

But will it be enough to defeat one of the most seasoned veterans in the game -- who also lays claim to a black belt in jiu-jitsu -- along with some of the most fearsome stand-up skills around?

We'll find out soon enough.