Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman, who has undergone several surgeries and suffered a devastating broken leg in 2021, is preparing to face Bruno Silva at the UFC Atlantic City card in March, acknowledging that this could potentially be the final fight of his career.
Chris Weidman’s got a tough road ahead. He’s slated to face Bruno Silva in the upcoming UFC Atlantic City card this March.
The ex-middleweight champ’s had his fair share of surgeries. But a brutal leg break in 2021, with a compound fracture to boot, had folks thinking he was done.
He went under the knife a few more times, and then, over 800 days since his last UFC appearance, he made a comeback. It was last August, and it didn’t go well. Brad Tavares beat him in a one-sided decision.
Weidman’s hoping to turn things around this March. But he’s realistic. He knows this could be his last fight.
“I wasn’t sure either [if I’d fight again],” Weidman admitted to Daniel Cormier on his YouTube channel. He’s been trying to get healthy, listening to his body. He still believes he’s got the mental strength and technique to be a top fighter. But his body’s taken a beating.
“This could be my last fight,” he said. He’ll decide during training camp, based on how his body holds up.
Weidman usually trains in South Carolina, where his family lives. But he recently headed to Las Vegas to use the UFC Performance Institute.
At 39, Weidman’s future is uncertain. But he thinks this fight, in this location, could be a fitting end to his career.
“The reason why I took this fight pretty quickly… it was offered in Atlantic City,” Weidman explained. That’s where he started his career, because MMA wasn’t legal in New York at the time.
His last fight was tough. Opponents targeted his surgically repaired leg. Tavares hammered away at it, and Weidman struggled to fight back.
“As soon as he kicked me, I wanted to come back with a kick, I was hesitating,” Weidman said. He’s determined to work on dealing with leg kicks in his upcoming fight camp.
Weidman’s not making any decisions yet. But he knows his career might be winding down. For now, he’s focusing on preparing for Silva in March.
“Listen, obviously it’s a good payday,” Weidman said. “See how my body feels and we’ll go from there.”