Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman lost his long-awaited return fight at UFC 292 following a two-year recovery from a leg injury, prompting UFC President Dana White to plead for his retirement and sparking discussion on whether the loss was due to Weidman’s injury or opponent Brad Tavares‘ superior game plan.
Returning to action after a two-year absence due to a severe leg injury, Chris Weidman wasn’t able to secure a victory in UFC 292. In his attempt to reclaim his position as a top-ranking contender, the 39-year-old former middleweight champion faced Brad Tavares, who had no intention of letting Weidman have his way. Over three gruelling rounds, Tavares strategically targeted Weidman’s lead leg with a relentless barrage of kicks, resulting in Weidman’s defeat after he was unable to continue due to a debilitating limp.
Following the fight, Dana White, the president of UFC, pleaded with Weidman to retire from the sport. However, Matt Brown, a fellow UFC welterweight, openly disagreed with White, highlighting the fact that Weidman had lost only one fight since his return, a loss that was clearly a result of Tavares’ brilliant execution of a perfect strategy against him. According to Brown, ““I give credit to Brad Tavares and hopefully Weidman can come back and fight some more guys. I don’t agree with Dana. I don’t think Chris needs to retire. I think he can come back and still do great things in the sport, just don’t fight Brad Tavares. The dude is a bad matchup for you.”
In light of the constant speculation regarding Weidman’s ability to bounce back from his devastating injury, much of the credit for Tavares’ victory seemed to be overlooked. Brown was quick to point out that the outcome of the fight was less due to Weidman’s weakened condition and more attributed to Tavares’ impressive performance. He stated, “Everything I’ve been reading on Twitter and people talking about is everything about Chris Weidman and his leg. I love Chris Weidman, hung out with him a few times, amazing guy but I have not heard near the credit for Brad Tavares in this fight. I think Brad Tavares did the right thing and I give the credit to him more so than Chris Weidman’s injury.”
Despite White’s objections to Weidman continuing to fight, Brown believes that Weidman has what it takes to regain his former glory. Brown reiterates, “I still think [Weidman] can do big things. I think he can get back to the top 10. I think he has that in him to do it. It’s just going to be a very long road now.” He also expressed his confidence in Weidman’s ability to make a strong comeback in spite of the significant obstacles he currently faces.