Chris Weidman vs. Anderson Silva 3 was on the table for UFC 212.
Weidman told Ariel Helwani on “The MMA Hour” that he was offered a third bout against Silva at the pay-per-view last month. He explained why he had to turn down the fight (via MMAMania.com):
“The UFC was asking me if I would fight Anderson Silva. This was, I think three and a half weeks before that fight was going on. In Rio, and I’m just like ‘no’. I was still getting things checked out on my body, and going different doctors.”
If the bout had piqued “All-American’s” interest, things may have played out differently. Weidman simply couldn’t justify going through the hassle just to fight someone he had already beaten twice.
“I had just gone to Vegas, got it all checked out. I already beat the guy twice, I’m going to take a fight on short notice and head to his hometown to fight him? I’m like ‘yeah, that’s not happening. If you want me to fight Anderson again, bump it up a couple of weeks, if you want to do it in Nassau Colosseum or some other time, but I’m not going to do it on short notice.”
