What a night, what a fight!! Chris Weidman did exactly what he said he wanted to do – to show that the hallmark of champions is their capacity to deal with loss and adversity and come back stronger than before. He did it tonight against a very tough and dangerous Kelvin Gastulem who has been on a tremendous winning streak and who again proved dangerous with his powerful rear hand tonight at the closing stages of the first round. However, in front of his fervent home town supporters, there was no denying Mr Weidman tonight. He came back brilliantly with his own rear hand interspersed with takedowns and ground control. Ultimately he got the breakthrough with his tokui waza (favorite move) kata gatame – the head and arm strangle. This was a fitting end, it represented what this fight was all about – a return to his roots that made him a world champion. He came in tonight at the same weight he fought Anderson Silva, looking much better than recent fights where he sacrificed too much weight. It was a joy to be a part of his preparation again. I have not been involved in Mr Weidman's camps since his second fight with Anderson Silva so it was an amazing experience tonight to once again watch this amazing athlete thrill the crowd with his skill and heart. Heading from Long Island to Manhattan- tired but happy, ready for a day of teaching tomorrow Hope you all enjoyed the show as much as I did!
