After the on UFC on Fuel TV 4 fight card on Wednesday night at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, one thing is absolutely clear: Chris Weidman is a contender.
Less clear, however, is another question: is he the No. 1 contender?
Matched up against a more experienced fighter - Mark Muñoz - who was thought to be on the verge of putting himself next in line to take on UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, Weidman turned in a dominant performance, overpowering the former NCAA wrestling champion in the grappling game and then catching him with a devastating elbow en route to a second-round TKO.
That had the Long Island native calling out Silva in his own right, campaigning for a title shot in his post-fight interview.
"I think I can take him down and submit him," Weidman said on Fuel's postfight show.
Whether UFC president Dana White and matchmaker Joe Silva grant Weidman's wish remains to be seen, but White is certainly a believer in the Long Island native."
"I'm as blown away as anybody," White said. "He really looked incredible tonight."
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Weidman's performance was his wrestling, and the way he made Muñoz, an NCAA Champion, look powerless against his takedowns. It's another reminder that while collegiate wrestling may be the best base for a career in MMA, there is a difference between the kind of wrestling that takes place in college or the Olympics and the wrestling used in the cage. Moreover, it's a possible indicator of Weidman's potential success should he get that opportunity to challenge Silva.
While Silva reaffirmed his brilliance on Saturday night by retaining his title against Chael Sonnen at UFC 148, Sonnen reaffirmed through his dominant first round that Silva is susceptible to the attacks of an elite-level wrestler. Weidman may indeed be such a wrestler, but he's not taking anything for granted when it comes to the champion.
"Chael makes it look easy out there," Weidman said of taking down Silva. "I know it's not easy."
Whether Weidman gets a chance to see just how difficult it is first hand is anyone's guess. There's been interest in matching Silva against former Bellator champion Hector Lombard - who brings his 25-fight unbeaten streak to the UFC next weekend against Tim Boetsch - and Michael Bisping continues to campaign for a title shot. While there's a case to be made for either of those fights, Weidman has just as good a case.
At 9-0, there's an argument that Weidman hasn't done enough in his MMA career to merit a shot at the title, but at the same time, he's beaten everyone put in front of him, including three opponents he stepped up to face on short notice, one of those a former No. 1 contender (Demian Maia) whom he beat despite having to drop more than 30 pounds in just 10 days to make weight. The most promising product of the Serra-Longo Fight Team in some time may not have a particularly lengthy dance card, but he's as likely a contender as anyone else.
