Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman admitted that he considered retirement ahead of his fight with Bruno Silva, and that his continued career in the sport hinged on his performance in that match.
Chris Weidman had retirement on his mind. But he kept it to himself. This was before his fight with Bruno Silva at UFC Atlantic City. He didn’t breathe a word to anyone.
He’d said earlier that his future hinged on his ability to complete a training camp. No serious injuries, no severe pain. But that wasn’t the full story. The former UFC middleweight champion had a different truth to tell. He spilled the beans on The MMA Hour.
His performance against Silva was the real deal-breaker. “If I didn’t perform out there, I was ready to retire,” Weidman confessed. “If Silva beat the crap out of me, I was gonna hang up my gloves. My wife, my team, no one knew. But in my head, I was ready.”
Looking back, his training camp was perfect. Ideal preparation for a fight. He was returning from a broken leg, but this time, he felt better than ever. But he knew that feeling good didn’t guarantee a win.
So, he kept his retirement thoughts to himself. His team saw his improvement. They knew he was better than ever. But for Weidman, the fight’s outcome was what mattered most.
“My team thinks I’m at my best,” Weidman said. “They can’t believe how good I am. They think I’m one of the best in the world again. But I know my potential. I know what they see. I know I could be in there with anybody.”
“But if I can’t deliver in the UFC, in the cage, in front of everyone, I’m done. If I didn’t perform well, I was done.”
Once the fight started, Weidman’s game was on point. His attitude changed dramatically. He outstruck Silva in nearly every exchange. He threw kicks with bad intention, something he struggled with in his first fight back against Brad Tavares.
Despite a disappointing finish, with eye pokes ending Silva’s night instead of strikes, Weidman knew he had more to give. “I told myself I wasn’t going to retire,” he said. “I felt so good. Unless I couldn’t perform in there, I wasn’t done.”
Now, Weidman is ready to fight again. He’s not rushing, but he’s not against building on his recent win’s momentum. He’s on a much-needed vacation with his family. But the 39-year-old hinted at a potential return at UFC 302 in New Jersey on June 1.
“We’ll see what happens,” Weidman said. “I’m going to take a week off. I’ll get back into the gym. I came out healthy. I’ll get back into training and try to get better. There’s another Jersey fight in June.”
“The love I got from the crowd was amazing,” he continued. “Twitter hates me right now, but the arena loved me that night. It was awesome. The crowd was really cool. It was a great experience. So that northeast love and things worked out for me, especially in Atlantic City, and 100 percent of the time in New Jersey.”