“I broke my leg on a pay-per-view,” Chris Weidman expresses disappointment after ‘disrespectful’ prelim spot at UFC 292 on huge return

Chris Weidman was frustrated to see himself in the prelims of UFC 292 after coming back from a long layoff.

“I broke my leg on a pay-per-view,” Chris Weidman expresses disappointment after ‘disrespectful’ prelim spot at UFC 292 on huge return

Chris Weidman (Courtesy: UFC Fight Club)

Chris Weidman expressed the frustration of being on the prelims of UFC 292. Weidman was out of action for two years after suffering a broken leg injury at UFC 261 against Uriah Hall. The former middleweight champion now faces Brad Tavares in what will be the main event of the prelims. Weidman believes that the promotion did him wrong even after he put his “body on the line” for the promotion.

Chris “All American” Weidman in his media day interview with ESPN MMA’s Marc Raimondi vented his frustration of being in the prelims. The fight card is headlined by Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley. An emotional Weidman said, “I broke my leg on the match of the UFC on pay-per-view, the first card ever since Covid.” to Raimondi. The former middleweight champion hinted at his intention to prove the promotion wrong for putting him in the prelims.

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Weidman broke his leg after his calf kick was checked by Uriah Hall at UFC 261 at 17 seconds of the first round. Uriah Hall has since retired after losing his subsequent two bouts against Sean Strickland and Andre Muniz. Weidman on the other hand has been slowly improving his game after recovering from injury. Weidman’s progress in the game was highlighted by Anthony “Lionheart” Smith and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson. Weidman won the middleweight title against Anderson Silva at UFC 162 and defended it three times before losing to Luke Rockhold. Since then, he is 2-5 in the promotion.

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Weidman’s comeback fight is flying under the radar according to Ariel Helwani. The acclaimed MMA journalist in his MMA Hour hinted that this fight would be one fight to watch out for. Daniel Cormier also chimed in during Weidman’s interview with Raimondi that Cormier was a double champion at the age of 39. Weidman is now 39 years old. Ray Longo, the head coach of Weidman had earlier put forth his belief that Weidman has what it takes to be champion at middleweight again.

Keep Exploring: Chris Weidman leg break: When did he break his leg and will he fight at UFC 292? (firstsportz.com)

Weidman faces a tough test in Tavares for comeback

Chris Weidman
Chris Weidman(L) and Brad Tavares(R), (Courtesy: My MMA News)

Weidman’s road back to the UFC title begins with a showdown with Brad Tavares. The Hawaiian native is with the UFC since 2010. Even though Tavares has been on a two-fight losing streak, his athletic ability and speed would provide a tough outing for Weidman. Israel Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis could not finish Tavares when they faced each other.

Chris Weidman’s wrestling prowess could get him a late finish via submission. Tavares can attain a victory by using his quick hands and athleticism. If victorious against Tavares, Weidman could easily climb the rankings and ultimately face the champion in a division with few wrestlers.

Brad Tavares is the betting favorite and a victory for Weidman could shut down his detractors. Many are calling for “The All-American” to retire from the sport citing the losses he suffered plus the leg injury. In a division full of savages at the top of rankings, beating Tavares should come at a fast pace for Weidman, or else he can never be competitive against the top 5 or top 7 middleweights.

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