Dana White: 'The sky's the limit' for UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman

There have only been a handful of undefeated UFC champions in the promotion’s more than 20 year existence, but none have been able to hold onto the title and their flawless records for very long.

Cain Velasquez was dethroned and handed his first professional loss in his first title reign back in 2011. Lyoto Machida barely edged Mauricio Rua in his first title defense in 2009 and was knocked out by “Shogun” to lose his strap in the rematch months later.

The unpredictable nature of MMA makes it nearly impossible to foreshadow the length of any given title reign, but after seeing what Chris Weidman (12-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) was able to do against Machida (21-5 MMA, 13-5 UFC) in his second middleweight championship defense at UFC 175 this past weekend, UFC President Dana White could see him becoming that guy.

“The sky’s the limit for him,” White told MMAjunkie of Weidman’s potential as champion. “He’s the first guy I’ve ever seen so proud to be American … He comes off really well in every way, shape and form. The respect he showed Anderson (Silva), he’s like, ‘I love being aligned with Anderson Silva. He’s the greatest ever and he deserves that respect.’ It’s good stuff.”

Weidman’s claim to fame prior to UFC 175 was the fact he defeated former 185-pound titleholder Silva in back-to-back fights to win and then defend the championship. Silva’s taunting in the first fight and shocking leg break in the second led many to question how good Weidman really is.

Facing a fresh challenger in Machida on Independence Day weekend, Weidman needed a win to inform the MMA community he is the best middleweight in the world and his victories over “The Spider” were no fluke.

In White’s opinion, the memorable five-round affair with Machida did just that, especially since he was fighting one of the most talented offensive and defense fighters to ever step inside the octagon.

“This was an important one – this was big for him,” White said. “Everybody had to be thinking the same thing I was thinking. ‘How is he going to get to Machida? How is he going to cut off the ring? How is he going to do this? He has a very deceptive style and everybody knows now Weidman’s the man. He looked good tonight, and that was his first five-round fight. He’s only getting better, just like Ronda (Rousey). Scary.”

When looking back at the biggest stars in the sport and what made them so magnetic, Weidman has all the characteristics fans look for. He has the physical attributes, attitude and confidence outside of the octagon, and once it’s time for business, he has talent in every area and doesn’t fear taking risks.

That’s the type of fighter White wants representing his organization, and if Weidman can keep his perfect record intact while holding on to the UFC middleweight title, there’s no telling how large his following will turn out to be.

“Weidman fought the perfect fight, the perfect fight,” White said. “The other thing about Weidman is he’s so durable and tough and strong. Every time you touch him you do damage to yourself. That’s how durable he really is.

“He’s undefeated, he’s beat Anderson Silva twice, and Machida, and this is the first time he’s ever gone five rounds. (It’s) his second title defense and he’s 12-0. Wow, that is impressive.”

For complete coverage of UFC 175, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.