Last night UFC president Dana White came on UFC Tonight for an exclusive interview. In the interview the topic of “what’s next” for UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was brought up and the UFC president suggested that a bout with contender Chris Weidman is more likely than people think.
Said White:

“That fight’s closer and more possible than people think. I actually thought that Weidman was going to be out a lot longer than he was because of his injury, but he’s healed up pretty well and he’ll be ready to start training in a couple of months. So we’re looking at a couple of different options, some options we like, and Weidman is one of them.”

While this is far short of definitive announcement, a prospective bout with Weidman is becoming more of a reality with the recent moves in the middleweight and welterweight divisions. With Michael Bisping being crushed by Vitor Belfort and UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre forgoing a shot at Silva to settle a score with Nick Diaz, the cupboard is pretty bare when it comes to challengers for the champion.

One bout to watch this weekend is the light heavyweight matchup between Rashad Evans and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. If Evans were to dominate Nogueira there is the chance of him usurping Weidman and facing Silva prior to Weidman’s return from shoulder surgery.
Weidman is aiming to fight on the July fourth weekend card for his return if he can avoid any setbacks in his rehab.