Chris Weidman will make his UFC return against Brad Tavares nearly two and a half years after a horrific leg injury.
On April 24, 2021, Weidman stepped into the Octagon and didn’t realize that his life would change drastically. The former UFC middleweight champion was matched up against Uriah Hall for the main card of UFC 261. In the first 20 seconds, ‘The All-American’ landed a leg kick and snapped his right leg, leading to one of the most disturbing injuries in UFC history.
Weidman’s leg injury led to a long and treacherous recovery process. After enduring several setbacks, the 38-year-old competed in a submission grappling match on March 11, losing by unanimous decision against Owen Livesey. Now that ‘The All-American’ has tested his leg in grappling, he’s ready to make his Octagon return on August 19.
At UFC 292, Weidman hopes to complete his remarkable comeback with a win against Brad Tavares. It’ll be easier said than done, as Tavares needs a win to get back on track. The 35-year-old Hawaii native is coming off back-to-back losses against Dricus Du Plessis and Bruno Silva. He last fought on April 22, suffering a first-round knockout loss against Silva.
Weidman’s Octagon return will be a massive moral victory, but he also has more to prove. The former UFC middleweight champion has five out of seven fights since being dethroned by Luke Rockhold. It’ll be intriguing to see if ‘The All-American’ can prove he has more gas left in the tank.
Chris Weidman reacts to his return fight being announced
Chris Weidman went through many mental and physical challenges to fight again. Needless to say, the 38-year-old is beyond excited for his Octagon return. Once his upcoming matchup was announced, Weidman posted a short reaction video on Instagram with the caption saying:
“I’m back! 🦵💥Stoked to be in the octagon once again at The @TDGarden for #UFC292 on Saturday, August 19th.”
Weidman vs. Brad Tavares isn’t the only reason to watch UFC 292. In the main event, Aljamain Sterling looks to defend his bantamweight championship by denying Sean O’Malley of a career-defining moment.
Meanwhile, the co-main event features Zhang Weili looking for the first strawweight title defense of her latest reign. She takes on Amanda Lemos, who is riding a two-fight win streak.
