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“I’m excited to see how he feels at 205, I think it’s gonna make a big difference.”
Coach Ray Longo believes Chris Weidman’s move up to light heavyweight could propel the former UFC middleweight champion to new heights.
Weidman is just 1-4 in his last five fights and, speaking to MMA Fighting’s Alexander K. Lee ahead of ‘All-American’s’ UFC light heavyweight debut against Dominick Reyes, Longo suspects the weight cut to 185 lbs. could have played a significant factor in the former champ’s sudden decline.
“He was doing good in all those fights, and it’s hard to tell if that was the difference,” Longo said. “So we’re going to find out (on Friday). I don’t want to believe it was the difference, but it could have been, it definitely could have been. At this stage where these guys are at, every fight is a big fight, you’re fighting the top guys, and things have to be squared away.
“He’s always kind of talked about [moving to light heavyweight], so I don’t remember when it first came up,” Longo continued. “I’m excited to see how he feels at 205, I think it’s gonna make a big difference. He’s looking great now, and he’s not gonna have to kill his body to get to 205.”
Having lost his last four fights via knockout, there’s concern about how well Weidman will adjust to the power differential at light heavyweight. Former middleweight rival Luke Rockhold made the move to 205 lbs. earlier this year but suffered a brutal knockout loss — arguably his worst to date — at the hands of Jan Blachowicz at UFC 239.
UFC on ESPN 6, which features Weidman vs. Reyes as the main event, takes place later this evening, Oct. 18 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.