After UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was fined $50,000 for no showing a media event on Monday (via USA TODAY), it seemed inevitable that upcoming title challenger Chris Weidman would weigh in on the situation.
Speaking to MMA Fighting's Ariel Helwani this morning, Weidman was less than thrilled to hear the latest news on "The Spider," given the fact he has been doing his part in fulfilling media obligations.
"I just went out to Los Angeles for three days. I just wasted time during my camp, Weidman said. "I haven't been in this sport as long as him, but you watch these superstar basketball players like LeBron James, and after every game, win or lose, he answers questions from the media. There's always stuff that you don't want to do when you're an athlete, but you just have to do it."
The former two-time All-American wrestler at Hofstra University also noted that if the no show is an indication that Silva is getting cocky, he will be the first one to take advantage of the opportunity.
"I hope he's staying grounded," he said. "I hope his head isn't getting so big that he thinks he doesn't have to do things for the UFC, but who am I to judge?
Weidman and Silva are set to headline UFC 162, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"The All-American" enters the title bout a perfect 9-0 as a professional mixed martial artist, including a stunning knockout over fellow contender Mark Munoz at UFC on FUEL 4 in July.
On the other hand, Silva has found unprecedented success inside the Octagon, boasting a 16-0 record and 10 successful title defenses, a UFC record, at 185-pounds.
UFC President Dana White told USA TODAY that Silva was fined since he "just decided he didn't want to do it (the scheduled media day)" in Los Angeles, California.
Is Silva's no show really a sign of the champion being cocky or is there a simple miscommunication to explain why this situation unfolded the way it did?
John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.
No comments:
Post a Comment