Remember back to the end of the original Rocky. After clubbering each other for fifteen rounds, Apollo Creed tells Rocky, “Ain’t gonna be no rematch.” Balboa says, “Don’t want one.”

But at the beginning of Rocky II, Creed and Balboa are in the hospital and Creed starts yelling at Balboa that they’re going to fight again. He changed his mind oh so quickly.

As did Anderson Silva. But that was expected. After Chris Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva, in an post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Silva said he wasn’t interested in fighting for titles anymore. Sour grapes? Maybe. Ploy to make more money? Probably. Was he serious? I didn’t think so at all.

In fact, Dana White told Lance Pugmire of the LA Times that he was thinking about scheduling the Silva/Weidman rematch for the year-end show and move Ronda Rousey vs. Miesha Tate to early February. He came off from that stance Tuesday, but he may have to think about that again based on Ariel Helwani’s latest article.

From Helwani:

According to sources very close to the former UFC middleweight champion, Silva changed his tune about not fighting Weidman again just hours after he was knocked out by Weidman at UFC 162 on Saturday night in Las Vegas. The sources said they have never seen Silva so motivated to fight someone, and that a little over 24 hours after the loss Silva was jokingly wishing the rematch could happen this week. That’s how badly he wants to avenge his loss to Weidman.

The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the rematch has yet to be announced by the UFC, said Silva’s preference would be to fight Weidman again this year, not in February, as has been discussed by UFC president Dana White.

There’s no word on when that fight will be scheduled, but we’ll keep you updated.

Update:

According to Weidman, the fight is a done deal, but he’s unsure if it will happen in December or February.

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