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I don't see what a prime Silva would do to beat Weidman, as he doesn't have the consistent TDD or set-ups for his kicks (and kicking technique too) of say, Machida, or the tools on the front-foot to score on the cards. Weidman has a very comprehensive pressure and cage-cutting game too (has even started integrating kicks into them), and he is getting more comfortable countering as well (countered pretty much all of Machida's most used techniques with punches and TDs).
He has many ways of setting up the TDs too. There are times like in the Silva and Machida fights where he has half-hearted attempts since he's fine with standing and they'll be counted as stuffed on the stats, but if he put more effort into it I think he'd be able to get even the ones where guys grab an underhook and pivot off hard to get their hips back. He's just very calculated about how he uses his energy. But I'm not saying he'll always get a TD if he wants it, just that he bails on them sometimes if he feels it's too much effort.
For a guy like Machida he has insane TDD, and Weidman picked up his legs in that fight + had a nice angle for his shots but got stuffed anyway. Machida's just very disciplined about getting two underhooks and sometimes a whizzer, then pivoting off and getting his hips back. He can defend when you duck under his punches, catch his kicks, if you think you're gonna get him by timing him coming forward, off counters, etc. Silva isn't as versatile with his defence (and has been taken down, and been on the bad side of some rather dominant positions by much less grapplers than Weidman), has the distance control to kill TDs before they start (Weidman's penetration step is explosive and he is usually well positioned), but his use of angles isn't as good and his keeping of a wide base can be taken away with how Weidman mixes it up (something a guy like Maia didn't do). Silva has actually gotten better, more experienced with his TDD over the years, especially with using the cage.
Weidman is very precise in getting to the hips, and he's very persistent and calculated when it comes to better opportunities. He also does a great job in manipulating the posture of guys to set up the TDs. He has a really stiff jab he uses and is really keen on establishing threats with his first step moving foward (he has a strong jab from both hands especially the left, great for cutting off, snaps guys' heads back, or uses it to set-up a lot of things, his hooks, level changes, TDs, etc.). He can just put guys into perfect positions to be taken down with how he executes it (with his knees and body) skyward to get right in the other guy's face and he uses the jab to disguise a lot of leads, jabs, and follow-ups with things like level changes. That is how he took Silva down the 2nd time.
The running low kicks and front snap kicks have really aided his game too, considering his height/length, stance, and weight placement on his feet, plus his great boxing + wrestling. He's used the front snap kick (and a roundhouse) to force guys like Munoz and Machida to stand taller and upright which made it easier for him to get TDs. They just think more about it and your hand and body positioning have to be different to defend kicks compared to shots, so when he goes for the TD a lot of guys are unprepared, like thinking a jab or lead is coming when a TD is because of how well he disguises everything, and just can't react quick enough considering how explosive Weidman is with them (plus the distance he covers with some of those long penetrating steps).
The low kicks against Machida forced him to back up when Weidman moved forward since he isn't going to look to take him down, plus when Silva's in southpaw it will be more useful for Weidman to pass his guard (especially to the body when he forces him to square up) and he has a good understanding of the centre-line as well.
Silva has never been very effective leading for almost all of his prime either, and I would say the Machida we have seen at MW is clearly better offensively, has a more varied attack when he leads, is much more proficient with feints, footwork, and has a better sense of when and how to take the initiative (along with a developing right hand), which gave Weidman some problems. Silva doesn't have the tools to pressure him effectively and Weidman won't be baited or over-extend himself to Silva's tactics. I actually think Silva threw the sloppier strikes of the two as well. Weidman was pretty tight with most of his and Silva can tend to get a little wild because he knows he can get away with it.
Silva failed badly to even establish a proper clinch position against Weidman in the 2nd fight. Weidman showed way more poise and a wrestling approach compared to the other less skilled fighters Silva overwhelmed in there. Silva got a tight overhook on him so he didn't have much leverage to change levels and put Weidman off balance + got a collar tie early. Weidman even exchanged a few knees with him and was always looking to improve his position unlike Franklin for example.
He shook and got his left arm under Silva's chin and used his forearm to create space between them to free his arm, forcing Silva to lose the overhook and go for a double collar tie. But Weidman's hand was free and he punched him to the body and went upstairs with a hook that dropped him right when Silva attempted a knee. Silva used the exact same techniques there that he always did. Weidman used his wrestling, and a strong, secure stance to beat Silva's more Thai approach in that position. He took advantage of Silva squaring up to make it near impossible for Silva to drag him into a clinch or get significant offence going inside.
It is clear at this point that Weidman is a nightmare match-up for counter strikers, just shut down the counter games of likely the two greatest counter strikers in MMA history. Silva had the same problems Machida had in that Weidman didn't give him openings for counters, but Machida did a better job than Silva at creating his own, especially on the back-foot where Weidman had him a lot in the first 3 rounds. You aren't going to beat Weidman by relying mostly on countering unless you can out-point him from the outside and get him desperate or frustrated. It seems unlikely considering how much he keeps adding to his game fight by fight (and Silva wouldn't have the control of distance or tools needed to consistently out-point Weidman from the outside), and just the general improvements and intelligence/adapting/strategy he has shown.
He has many ways of setting up the TDs too. There are times like in the Silva and Machida fights where he has half-hearted attempts since he's fine with standing and they'll be counted as stuffed on the stats, but if he put more effort into it I think he'd be able to get even the ones where guys grab an underhook and pivot off hard to get their hips back. He's just very calculated about how he uses his energy. But I'm not saying he'll always get a TD if he wants it, just that he bails on them sometimes if he feels it's too much effort.
For a guy like Machida he has insane TDD, and Weidman picked up his legs in that fight + had a nice angle for his shots but got stuffed anyway. Machida's just very disciplined about getting two underhooks and sometimes a whizzer, then pivoting off and getting his hips back. He can defend when you duck under his punches, catch his kicks, if you think you're gonna get him by timing him coming forward, off counters, etc. Silva isn't as versatile with his defence (and has been taken down, and been on the bad side of some rather dominant positions by much less grapplers than Weidman), has the distance control to kill TDs before they start (Weidman's penetration step is explosive and he is usually well positioned), but his use of angles isn't as good and his keeping of a wide base can be taken away with how Weidman mixes it up (something a guy like Maia didn't do). Silva has actually gotten better, more experienced with his TDD over the years, especially with using the cage.
Weidman is very precise in getting to the hips, and he's very persistent and calculated when it comes to better opportunities. He also does a great job in manipulating the posture of guys to set up the TDs. He has a really stiff jab he uses and is really keen on establishing threats with his first step moving foward (he has a strong jab from both hands especially the left, great for cutting off, snaps guys' heads back, or uses it to set-up a lot of things, his hooks, level changes, TDs, etc.). He can just put guys into perfect positions to be taken down with how he executes it (with his knees and body) skyward to get right in the other guy's face and he uses the jab to disguise a lot of leads, jabs, and follow-ups with things like level changes. That is how he took Silva down the 2nd time.
The running low kicks and front snap kicks have really aided his game too, considering his height/length, stance, and weight placement on his feet, plus his great boxing + wrestling. He's used the front snap kick (and a roundhouse) to force guys like Munoz and Machida to stand taller and upright which made it easier for him to get TDs. They just think more about it and your hand and body positioning have to be different to defend kicks compared to shots, so when he goes for the TD a lot of guys are unprepared, like thinking a jab or lead is coming when a TD is because of how well he disguises everything, and just can't react quick enough considering how explosive Weidman is with them (plus the distance he covers with some of those long penetrating steps).
The low kicks against Machida forced him to back up when Weidman moved forward since he isn't going to look to take him down, plus when Silva's in southpaw it will be more useful for Weidman to pass his guard (especially to the body when he forces him to square up) and he has a good understanding of the centre-line as well.
Silva has never been very effective leading for almost all of his prime either, and I would say the Machida we have seen at MW is clearly better offensively, has a more varied attack when he leads, is much more proficient with feints, footwork, and has a better sense of when and how to take the initiative (along with a developing right hand), which gave Weidman some problems. Silva doesn't have the tools to pressure him effectively and Weidman won't be baited or over-extend himself to Silva's tactics. I actually think Silva threw the sloppier strikes of the two as well. Weidman was pretty tight with most of his and Silva can tend to get a little wild because he knows he can get away with it.
Silva failed badly to even establish a proper clinch position against Weidman in the 2nd fight. Weidman showed way more poise and a wrestling approach compared to the other less skilled fighters Silva overwhelmed in there. Silva got a tight overhook on him so he didn't have much leverage to change levels and put Weidman off balance + got a collar tie early. Weidman even exchanged a few knees with him and was always looking to improve his position unlike Franklin for example.
He shook and got his left arm under Silva's chin and used his forearm to create space between them to free his arm, forcing Silva to lose the overhook and go for a double collar tie. But Weidman's hand was free and he punched him to the body and went upstairs with a hook that dropped him right when Silva attempted a knee. Silva used the exact same techniques there that he always did. Weidman used his wrestling, and a strong, secure stance to beat Silva's more Thai approach in that position. He took advantage of Silva squaring up to make it near impossible for Silva to drag him into a clinch or get significant offence going inside.
It is clear at this point that Weidman is a nightmare match-up for counter strikers, just shut down the counter games of likely the two greatest counter strikers in MMA history. Silva had the same problems Machida had in that Weidman didn't give him openings for counters, but Machida did a better job than Silva at creating his own, especially on the back-foot where Weidman had him a lot in the first 3 rounds. You aren't going to beat Weidman by relying mostly on countering unless you can out-point him from the outside and get him desperate or frustrated. It seems unlikely considering how much he keeps adding to his game fight by fight (and Silva wouldn't have the control of distance or tools needed to consistently out-point Weidman from the outside), and just the general improvements and intelligence/adapting/strategy he has shown.
