What happened to Chris Weidman? Know about the former UFC champion's injury-plagued career ahead of return documentary
Chris Weidman recently opened up about the injury issues that have plagued him in his career. Weidman, a former UFC middleweight champion, is widely regarded as one of the greatest 185-pound fighters in UFC history. However, his later career, epecially afte the devastating title fight loss against Luke Rockhold, has been marred with crushing defeats and lingering battles with injuries and health issues.
What happened to Chris Weidman?
Chris Weidman suffered the most gruesome injury of his career at UFC 261 in April 2021. In a first-round TKO defeat, 'The All-American' broke his right tibia and fibula after his leg kick was checked by his opponent Uriah Hall. The infamous UFC 261 Weidman injury is, to date, regarded as one of the worst injuries in combat sports history.
Weidman was hospitalized immediately. The highly-accomplished wrestler and MMA star underwent extensive rehabilitation on his leg. He made his long-awaited return at UFC 292 in August 2023, losing to Brad Tavares via unanimous decision.
During an appearance on ESPN MMA's DC & Friends, Weidman spoke to UFC legend Daniel Cormier regarding his upcoming ESPN documentary.
The E60 documentary, 'Chris Weidman: The Return,' premiered on Sunday, December 17, 2023, at 8:30 pm ET. It's now available for streaming on ESPN+. It comprises a behind-the-scenes look at Weidman's comeback from the rare, horrific leg injury.
During his appearance on DC & Friends ahead of the documentary's release, Weidman revealed that he's had around 30 surgeries. That includes the "four surgeries, infections," and other issues related to his UFC 261 leg injury. He's also dealt with neck injuries. Weidman stated:
"I had 25 surgeries before my leg snapped in half. Then, I had four surgeries from the leg. There was a shoulder surgery I had that I didn't even talk about during these last two years before this Tavares fight. I've been riddled with injuries my entire career."
Weidman reasserted:
"I've now had 30 surgeries total, and I've been through tons of setbacks, and I've been able to overcome it ... Actually, my left leg fractured in that [Tavares] fight from him kicking it so much."
Check out Chris Weidman's comments below (35:52 to 49:20):
Chris Weidman leg injury: Former UFC champion addresses the documentary about his MMA return
Ahead of Chris Weidman's UFC 292 fight against Brad Tavares, his name had been making headlines in the MMA community. This was primarily due to the courtesy of his documentary that features his courageous journey back to the octagon after his UFC 261 leg injury.
For his part, Weidman has put forth a a post on X, expressing his gratitude towards the UFC and ESPN for documenting his comeback. The 40-year-old has consistently maintained that he's glad that his story is able to reach a wider audience and inspire others.
Moreover, as seen in the documentary's trailer he posted on X, Weidman suggested that he aims to reach the top again and not just compete in a couple of fights:
"I'm not doing this just to get a couple of fights in. The motivation is to shock the world."
Watch Weidman discuss the topic below:
Weidman got back in the win column with a controversial win over Bruno Silva in March. He is set to take on Eryk Anders in the featured bout of the early prelims. The fight will take place at 195 pounds catchweight.