Dana White reacts to Chris Weidman's injury by pointing out how Uriah Hall made UFC history
UFC president Dana White pointed out the irony in tonight's middleweight clash between Chris Weidman and Uriah Hall. Number nine middleweight contender Hall made history by winning a UFC bout without throwing a single strike.
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"The first fighter in @ufc history to win without a single strike thrown #UFC261," wrote Dana White.
In a shocking turn of events, former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman broke his right leg after landing a kick on Uriah Hall. The kick was the first strike thrown in the match. As Hall tried to check the kick with his left leg, Weidman's right leg immediately snapped. The former champion curled up in agony which resulted in a stoppage.
Subsequently, Hall was awarded the victory while Chris Weidman was taken to the locker room on a stretcher. In his post-fight interview, Uriah Hall paid his respects to Weidman:
“I’ve got nothing but respect for Chris Weidman,” Hall told Joe Rogan after the fight. “He’s truly one of the best. It is a crazy story that he was the first man I fought that defeated me, that introduced me to fear. … I wanted to put on a great performance. I feel so bad for him. I hope he’s OK. I wish the family well. It’s the sucky part of this sport. … I hope he recovers.”
Chris Weidman suffered the same fate as his former rival Anderson Silva
The injury is starkly similar to what Anderson Silva suffered at UFC 168. Ironically enough, 'The Spider' had also snapped his leg when Weidman checked one of Silva's lethal low kicks. Consequently, Silva had to spend a year recovering from the horrendous injury. The former undisputed champion lost five of his six octagon outings thereafter.
In 2020, the UFC released Anderson Silva from the roster after his loss to Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night 181.