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    Hofstra alum Weidman to fight for UFC title

    Hempstead, NY -- Hofstra Wrestling alumnus Chris Weidman will fight UFC middleweight champion Anderson “Spider” Silva this Saturday night, July 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The 11-fight card, which features five fights on the main card, begins at 8 p.m. (ET) with two hours of preliminary fights.

    The Pay-Per-View fight can be seen on many satellite and cable systems throughout the country and world-wide at UFC.com. A complete list can be found above. FX television will air the two hours of prelims beginning at 8 p.m.

    In what could be the most anticipated fight of 2013, Weidman, 29, enters his first UFC title fight with a 9-0-0 record. Silva, 38, arguably the greatest MMA fighter in the sport, enters his 11th title defense with a 33-4-0 record. While both fighters are 6’2 and 185 pounds, Weidman has a three-inch reach advantage (78”-75”) over Silva.

    The fight will feature the experienced and punching power of Silva, who is lethal on his feet, and Weidman, who has taken the UFC by storm in just four years in the MMA, has outstanding wrestling ability. But don’t be mistaken. Weidman has great punching power as well and Silva has an 83.7 takedown defense rate, which ranks third all-time in the middleweight division.

    Weidman was propelled into the title fight spotlight last July following a resounding second round, TKO victory over fifth-ranked Mark Munoz in the main event of the UFC on Fuel TV 4 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California. In the battle of two-time NCAA All-Americans, Weidman, who placed sixth in 2006 and third as a senior in 2007 at 197 pounds, sent Munoz (12-3), a 2001 NCAA champion while at Oklahoma State, to the mat with a thunderous counter elbow on the way to the technical knockout that also earned him the Knockout of the Night award.

    Weidman was 51-21 in two seasons with the Pride and earned a bachelor's degree in psychology in 2007. He was also named to the Colonial Athletic Association's Silver Anniversary Wrestling Team in 2009, along with seven other Hofstra grapplers. Weidman and his wife, Marivi have a daughter, Cassidy (3) and a son, CJ (1).

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