Chris Weidman isn’t holding back when it comes to his recent fight with Bruno Silva at UFC Atlantic City. While he admits to accidentally poking Silva in the eyes, he believes Silva’s reaction was exaggerated and influenced the fight’s outcome.
Weidman asserts that despite the eye pokes, he won the fight fair and square. He acknowledges that it wasn’t the way he wanted to win, but he stands by the judges’ decision.
During the bout, replays showed Weidman’s unintentional eye pokes causing Silva significant distress. Weidman believes Silva’s choice to drop to the ground and cover up after the pokes led to the fight’s end, rather than giving Silva a chance to recover.
Weidman emphasized the legitimacy of his victory, stating, “I feel like it’s a legitimate win… Is it the way I wanted to win? Hell no.” He criticized Silva’s response, mentioning, “All eye pokes aren’t created the same… Bad things happen when you do that.” Despite this, Weidman expressed openness to a rematch, saying, “If they want to do a rematch of this fight, sure… But I would happily move on, too.” He highlighted Silva’s decision to drop to the ground after the pokes, believing it influenced the fight’s outcome. Weidman also noted that Silva’s reaction seemed excessive, adding, “I almost came out trying to coach him… It’s just a bad habit.”
While Weidman regrets the eye pokes, he thinks Silva’s reaction was excessive. He suggests that Silva’s habit of dropping to the ground whenever his eye is touched is a bad precedent for the sport.
Despite the controversy, Weidman is open to a rematch if the UFC decides it’s necessary. However, he’s also ready to move on from the situation.
