UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman (11-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) succesfully defended his belt against Anderson Silva (33-6 MMA, 16-2 UFC) at last month’s UFC 168 event in Las Vegas.

Unfortunately for fight fans, his second-round TKO victory came in the worst fashion possible, as Anderson Silva suffered a broken leg after throwing a kick that was checked by the “All-American.”

The injury has left fans and media to wonder if UFC 168 was the last time “The Spider” will be seen fighting in the octagon. On Monday’s edition of “The MMA Hour,” Weidman gave his perspective on Anderson’s potential return. He also gave his response to those trying to take away from his wins:

“I do want to see him come back, but it would be a very hard transition,” Weidman said. “Physically it’s going to be tough, but it might be more a mental thing that will be a bigger struggle for him. If you put yourself in his shoes, he was known as the greatest of all time, I still think he should be known as the greatest of all-time. … He got knocked out the first fight by me, he never got knocked out before. Then the second fight, gets dropped in the first round, then he breaks leg on me when he’s known as a as kicker. It’s going to be tough for him, I wish him the best, I want him to come back and do great things.”

That said, by defeating Silva a second time after knocking him out in July, Weidman feels he no longer has to answer to people who called his win a fluke.

“I’m never going to win over the respect of certain people and I can tell you one thing,” Weidman said. “After the first fight I felt like needed to prove even to myself that I’m better than him. He started showboating, even though he had done that before, when I knocked him out I surprised myself. But after both fights now, being in the past I can for sure tell you for sure I’m the better fighter. I’m completely comfortable knowing I won both fights.”

Chris Weidman is expected to face #1 contender Vitor Belfort (24-10 MMA, 13-6 UFC) later this year for his second title defense.