Let's start at the end. Anderson Silva was going back to the leg kicks that were so successful for him in the first fight with Weidman. Serra and Longo taught him to adjust for those and start checking them. Chris had good technique to check, and Anderson had so much power that he broke his own leg in a gruesome injury that nobody in the world wanted. It's a sad way to see one of the greatest combat athletes of all time lose a fight. We're all hoping for Anderson's health and recovery.
With that said, congratulations to Chris for defending his title and mostly getting rid of the "fluke" label some put on his first win. He dominated the first round with a heavy right hand leading into strong ground and pound, putting himself up 10-9 before the fight ending injury. There was a clear improvement for him from the previous fight where Anderson landed digging low kicks. The knee block that caused the injury was a new tool for him and once again showed how Weidman ups his game every fight.
Chris Weidman has definitively dethroned Anderson Silva as today's king of middleweights. For the first time since 2006, middleweight challengers are lining up to fight a man who isn't Anderson Silva. This is Weidman's time, and he's going to make the best of it.
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