Anderson Silva (pictured) will face Chris Weidman in his next title defense. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Anderson Silva will defend his UFC middleweight title against Chris Weidman at UFC 162 in Las Vegas, according to reports on Wednesday.
The fight will headline the Pay-Per-View card, which is scheduled for July 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
“Ever since I’ve been fighting, Anderson Silva has been the champion and I’ve been visualizing beating him,” Weidman told Newsday.com on Wednesday in Albany, N.Y. “Now I have the opportunity. I have to make the most of it.”
Silva (33-4) is in conversation for being the greatest mixed martial artist of all time, and is consistently ranked No. 1 in numerous pound-for-pound rankings. His 16 consecutive wins is a UFC record, and he’s not lost a fight for seven years. The fight with Weidman will be his 11th title defense, also a UFC record.
Weidman (9-0) is unbeaten in his young career. In his last fight, the 28-year-old defeated Mark Munoz by second-round knockout and became the next man in line to take on Silva. Injuries, however, have slowed down the match-making process, but this July is far enough out for both fighters to come in healthy from any previous setbacks.
As reported by GracieMag.com on Monday, UFC 162 will also feature a middleweight match-up between Strikeforce imports Roger Gracie and Tim Kennedy.
More fights are expected to be announced in the coming weeks.
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