Former UFC champion Chris Weidman is not ready to hang up his MMA gloves just yet.
It has been eighteen months since the last time Chris Weidman stepped foot in the UFC Octagon. Historically Weidman was a very active fighter but in his previous outing, he suffered a brutal injury that derailed his momentum and could have put his career in jeopardy. During his last bout against Uriah Hall, Weidman broke his leg in two while throwing a kick. Right away fans could see the severity of the injury, and the former champion has spent the last year and a half healing up.
The irony of the injury was not lost on Weidman. He was on the other end of the same sort of injury when he fought Anderson Silva back in 2013. For Silva, it took him two years before he returned to fighting, it seems as though Weidman is in the same sort of timeline. Weidman is 38 years old and could have taken his injury and rode off into the sunset. He has had an amazing career in the UFC, over his ten years there he won the middleweight title and defended it three times. Backing down is not in his nature and now Weidman is planning a comeback.
Chris Weidman is planning a comeback that will be filmed for ESPN
Weidman has not been sitting around and healing up, he is staying busy with a few out-of-the-cage opportunities. He was hosting his own podcast called ‘Won’t Back Down’, which recently got picked up by Sirius XM radio. His journey back will also be featured in an ESPN documentary in the future which he spoke about while promoting the radio show with his new colleagues, Din Thomas and Anthony Smith on Sirius XM.
"Won't Back Down Radio on Fight Nation Channel 156, let's go!" 👊
🚨 You heard the man — Don't miss the debut of 'Won't Back Down Radio' with @chrisweidman THIS MONDAY, October 17th, only on @SIRIUSXM Fight Nation! pic.twitter.com/tTAzK1pHko
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) October 12, 2022
“Yeah, not yet,” he said of giving up fighting. “At some point in my life, I will not be fighting. It’s that’s definitely but I am not backing down. It’s not time yet. You know, I’m excited to inspire people because what I’ve been through is definitely insane. I love that ESPN was able to capture it. And to be able to tell the story, come back and not just come back and be like, Ah, he did all right. I want to come back and you know, make a real big scene. So yeah, I’m just, that’s it. I’m excited to do that.”
There is no date for Weidman’s comeback fight just yet. He has mentioned over the past year that the recovery was very difficult and there were complications. He needed to go through multiple surgeries but has been back in the gym and working towards full health and strength.
