Weidman has momentum in his corner for UFC 162 main event

hris Weidman works out at XS in Encore on Wednesday in preparation for his UFC 162 middleweight championship fight tonight against seven-year champion Anderson Silva.

Anderson Silva, 38, carries a 33-4 record into tonight's UFC middleweight title defense against unbeaten 29-year-old challenger Chris Weidman (9-0).

UFC middleweight challenger Chris Weidman, bottom, stretches with help from strength and conditioning coach Jamal Hamid during a workout Wednesday at XS in Encore.

Chris Weidman, the unbeaten Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight contender, has insisted he would upset longtime champion Anderson Silva since the day their fight was announced.

He has managed to convince more than just himself and his fans.

It seems many fighters are on the challenger’s bandwagon, and oddsmakers give Weidman as good a chance as any of Silva’s recent opponents when they meet tonight in the main event of UFC 162 at the MGM Grand Garden.

Silva, 38, opened as a minus-215 favorite over Weidman, the smallest opening number on Silva since he was a minus-140 choice over Dan Henderson in early 2008.

Some money has come in on Silva (33-4), pushing him to about a minus-230 favorite Friday afternoon. Still, Weidman (9-0) is viewed by insiders as having a legitimate shot to end the UFC’s longest title run.

“Every fighter out there that I’ve talked to thinks Weidman is going to beat Anderson,” UFC president Dana White said. “All the pros think this is the biggest challenge Anderson has ever faced in the UFC. These are the guys who know the sport, the pros, and they are all saying Weidman could really shock the world.”

Chael Sonnen is one of those fighters. Sonnen twice has lost to Silva during the champion’s seven-year reign, but was the closest to pulling off an upset when he dominated Silva for 4½ rounds before succumbing to a late submission in 2010.

Sonnen used the same strategy Weidman hopes to employ tonight. That is, take Silva to the ground and control the position to neutralize Silva’s unmatched speed and striking skills.

“I think Anderson is an excellent fighter, an awesome fighter, but he’s just not winning this fight,” Sonnen said. “I think Weidman takes Anderson down at will, I think he blows past Anderson’s guard, and I think he finishes him. Taking Anderson down isn’t a hard thing to do. I did it repeatedly. Chris will get to Anderson’s head, hurt him with ground-and-pound and submit Anderson within three rounds. Weidman is a younger version of me — and a better version when it comes to aspects like top game.

“The seven-year reign is over. That’s genuinely what I feel.”

Weidman, 29, said this is the fight he has been preparing for since he began mixed martial arts training after being a two-time All-American collegiate wrestling at Hofstra. When Weidman decided to start fighting professionally at 185 pounds, he knew Silva was the man he would have to eclipse to reach his goal of becoming champion.

“I believed I could beat him from day one. I believe I have the skill set to do it,” Weidman said. “I bring a lot to the table, and I’m very confident.”

Part of Weidman’s mindset might come from his belief that many of Silva’s opponents are beaten by intimidation before they step into the cage. Weidman, who has a psychology degree, knows he must remain strong in his conviction that he will win.

One of his trainers, John Danaher, says Weidman truly believes he will take the belt home to Long Island, N.Y.

“In all the time I’ve been training Chris, I’ve always felt one of his strongest traits as a fighter is a supreme self-confidence,” Danaher said. “He believes in his ability to impose his will upon anyone he fights. That’s not an act. It’s just the way he is.”

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan discussed the issue with a group of fans Friday at the UFC Fan Expo at Mandalay Bay after pointing out that nothing much really matters if Weidman can’t get the fight to the ground.

“He has some real legitimate pure confidence and a champion’s belief in himself,” Rogan said. “Whether that’s enough, I don’t know.”

Either way, Weidman is pleased by the number of fighters picking him to pull the upset.

“Silva’s the greatest all time, and it’s cool to see people think I can beat him,” he said. “It’s one thing when it’s guys who train with me. But when it’s guys who don’t even train with me and don’t really know me that well, it’s like, ‘Whoa, how did that happen?’ ”

Those picking him will find out if their opinions were valid on the pay-per-view card that airs live starting at 7 p.m.

A featherweight contender bout between Frankie Edgar and Charles Oliveira also is featured on the card.

Four fights will air live on FX (Cable 24) at 5 p.m. That portion of the card is headlined by a middleweight fight between Chris Leben and Andrew Craig. Three fights will stream live on the UFC’s Facebook page at 3:30.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.