Chris Weidman is preparing to return to the UFC after a horrible leg injury.
It has been nearly two years since former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman stepped foot in the Octagon. In his last bout against Uriah Hall, Weidman suffered a leg break that has kept him out since April 2021. The leg was broken in two and required a great deal of time to heal. Weidman needed to undergo several surgeries in order to fix this leg. The road back to health was a long one but now he is finally ready to get back to work.
Weidman is now 38 years old but feels there is still more to give to his MMA career. He won his first championship belt in the UFC back in 2013 and defended it three times. Although his record has taken a turn for the worse over the last several years, Weidman is determined to make it back to the cage and show his fans that he was able to come back from such a terrible injury.
Chris Weidman is looking to test his leg in a grappling match before his UFC return
Weidman is preparing to get back in the cage and is finally back in fighting shape. He will be participating in a grappling match coming up later this year and will use that to jump back into competition. He spoke to The MMA Hour about this match and what it has been like for him to heal from such a serious injury.
“There were moments where I was like, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do this.’ This has been such a process,” he said. “I’ve had 29 surgeries and I just had four surgeries on this leg. I had 25 before this and now 29 after this, so I’ve been through the wringer already in my career. I have that ‘I’m not quitting attitude.’ I don’t even think about quitting.”
Weidman has been grappling with world champion Gordon Ryan in preparation for his match at Polaris 23 against Owen Livesey. Weidman admitted that healing from this injury was one of the most difficult things he had ever gone through in his life.
“This has been very unique in the way that it tested me mentally and physically,” he said. “It’s hard, it’s not easy to come back from at all. I’m finally seeing light at the end of the tunnel.”
Following the grappling match, Weidman has plans to speak to the UFC about a return fight. He is targeting June as his return date. He is targeting an opponent in the top fifteen of the division. He has intentions of regaining his belt.
