Clear path for Chris Weidman as Anderson Silva's next opponent

Dana White said after UFC 156 that Chris Weidman was now the clear-cut next opponent for Anderson Silva's UFC middleweight championship. There had been talk going into Saturday's show that with an impressive win by Rashad Evans that Evans would move down to middleweight and be under consideration for the title shot.

"I liked Weidman for the fight anyway," said White after the show. "Rashad looked worse than I've ever seen him. He looked terrible."

Weidman (9-0), who is out of action due to shoulder surgery, has said he would be ready by July, and White said they were looking at a Silva title defense this summer.

"The later it is, the better it is for Weidman," White said.

Silva and his management in the past had said they didn't want to face Weidman, feeling he wasn't a big enough name and they get paid based on how well the show does. White said that in the end, Silva would fight whoever they decided.

"Weidman told me he was willing to go to Brazil for the fight, and that he'd smash him, and then give him a rematch in Madison Square Garden," White said.

White said that the fight is probably not going to happen in Brazil based on scheduling. He didn't speculate on when or where it could take place. When Calgary was brought up, White said he felt he owed the city something special because they sold out the last show for UFC 149, and the show didn't deliver.

Another big question coming out of Saturday's fight regards the next opponent for heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez (11-1). Alistair Overeem, who was knocked out in the third round by Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva (18-4), was heavily favorited to win and be the next contender.

White said he wasn't going to make any matches right now, but said he was so impressed with Silva's win that even though Velasquez gave Silva one of the bloodiest beatings in recent UFC history on May 26, that he was at least considering Silva.

"Going into this fight, if Overeem won, he and Cain were going to fight," said White. "The way he (Silva) looked, maybe we do that fight again."