The anticipation for the rematch between Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman reminded me of some of the great rematches in boxing; Muhammad Ali Vs Joe Frazier, Manny Pacquiao Vs Juan Manuel Marquez, Lennox Lewis Vs Hasim Rahman to name a few.

There were still questions many had about the first fight. Was it a fluke? Was Chris Weidman in Anderson Silva’s league? Could Anderson Silva really hang with the best in his division at 38 years old? We all thought these questions would be answered tonight. But for many, Weidman’s victory was tainted.

The fight started with Anderson Silva looking very tentative on the feet. He seemed much more respectful of Chris Weidman’s skills than he did in the first fight and looked to strike from distance. Weidman clinched Anderson and attempted a takedown, which was stuffed. Very promising signs from Anderson.

Then we seen Anderson Silva attempt to gain the plum (or Muay Thai clinch) and strike with Weidman. We’ve seen this before; a perfect example would be the dismantling of Chris Leben in 2006. But unlike Leben, Weidman looked to present his own offense and clipped Anderson, forcing him on to the canvas. He landed devastating strike after devastating strike, before being tied up in Anderson’s guard.

As the round ended, I was overcome with tenseness and anticipation; it’s not that I wanted either fighter to win, I just wanted answers to the many questions I still had from the first fight. What was clearly apparent though, was that Anderson Silva had his work cut out and Weidman was dominating him. By miles.

The second round is a blur. Because trying to analyse individual strikes and events is completely redundant when you consider the ending. Anderson Silva threw a strong leg kick (which he’s done for the entirety of his career). The kick itself wasn’t out of the ordinary. But Chris Weidman’s reaction to the kick, as well as the impact of the kick was heart wrenching.

Weidman checked the kick strongly, which shattered Silva’s leg and may have ended his career. It’s one of the most gruesome sights I’ve seen in sports, and really drives home the idea of “combat sports”. Many refer to MMA and Boxing as “The Pain Game” and I can guarantee you there’s not many experiencing pain like Anderson Silva is at this time.

So, here’s the kicker (no pun intended); Did Weidman “leave no doubt” about who the best in the world is? There are two subjective answers to this question:

Yes – Checking kicks is a very functional technique that neutralizes opponents’ movement and stops leg kicks landing effectively. Weidman’s reactions were the direct reason for Anderson’s injury, thus the stoppage was because of Weidman and not because of Anderson just having a random accident.

Or….

No – This could have happened to anyone. Weidman got lucky and Anderson got injured as a direct result of Anderson’s kick and nothing else. We need a rematch when Anderson gets back. Weidman didn’t blatantly beat Anderson and for this win to hold any credibility, Weidman needs to beat Anderson again.

So. Which side are you on? After reading hundreds of tweets, I wasn’t surprised to see many of you calling this fight a “fluke” and a “fraud” and siding with “No”. But I was disappointed…

The idea that “ignorance is bliss” isn’t completely true; ignorance is only bliss to the ignorant. Everyone else has to hear ignorance and either attempt to combat it or just ignore it. With this though, I really feel the need to stress the genius of Chris Weidman and combat ignorance.

I’m certain Weidman didn’t expect to end a fight by checking a leg kick. But in a sport as competitive as MMA, defence is as important as offence. By implementing the defensive strategy of checking kicks, Weidman avoided taking unnecessary shots to his legs (thus staying mobile and away from Anderson Silva’s devastating strikes) and also, quite obviously, incapacitated his opponent.

John Danaher (Chris Weidman’s Jiu Jitsu coach) amazingly criticised Weidman’s performance in the first Anderson Silva fight by stating, “I didn’t like how he was taking those leg kicks”. There were improvements made from the first fight, which resulted in Weidman’s win.

It wasn’t a complete freak of nature. The leg break happened as a result of an action by Chris Weidman. The same way a knockout can happen as a direct action from an opponent. Although it was wasn’t meant to completely end the fight, it did.

To call the win a “fluke” is silly. Was the ending shocking? Absolutely. And could Anderson maybe have did more later on in the fight to win? Absolutely. But the fact remains, the events unfolded how they unfolded. These things happen. Actions have consequences.

I’m not dismissing Anderson Silva’s ability by any means. He’s by far the greatest the sport has ever seen. But Weidman won tonight. So give the guy his dues and stop acting like this event is as unbelievable as aliens landing on the White House.