Chris Weidman: Anderson Silva Is 'a Person Just Like I Am,' Not a 'Superhero'

UFC middleweight title challenger Chris Weidman hasn't been shy about hyping his UFC 162 bout with long-reigning champion Anderson Silva, showcasing how confident he is of an upset victory. 

In an interview with Dave Doyle of Yahoo! Sports, "The All-American" explains that while Silva's skills need to be respected, at the end of the day, he is still just another human being. 

"

 You have to treat him like just another opponent. You respect what he's done in this sport. Of course you do. But you can't get caught up in it. Guess what? He's a person just like I am, he's got two arms, two legs, two eyes, like I do. I'm not fighting a superhero, I'm fighting another person, and it's my job to defeat him. Simple as that. I feel like I have the right mix of skills, the desire, the determination, to get the job done.

"

Silva has shown to be a cut above the rest since making his UFC debut in July 2006, compiling an unheard of 16-0 record, including 14 finishes. 

"The Spider" also holds the UFC middleweight record with 10 consecutive title defenses.

Weidman, a former two-time All-American wrestler at Hofstra University, is an undefeated 9-0 as a professional mixed martial artist. 

His biggest win to date was a bloody, brutal knockout over fellow contender Mark Munoz at UFC on Fuel 4. Weidman needed some time off after to get surgery on a torn rotator cuff. 

His title fight with Silva will be his first action inside the cage in roughly one year's time. 

The 28-year-old, who has also earned a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has the grappling chops to get the fight to the mat, but will that be enough to stop the pound-for-pound great in his tracks?

We'll find out at UFC 162, which goes down July 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

John Heinis is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com and contributes MMA videos to The Young Turks Sports Show.