The boss wants Chris Weidman to retire.
Weidman lost his highly anticipated comeback fight at UFC 292 tonight (Sat., Aug. 19, 2023) when he lost a unanimous decision to fellow UFC veteran Brad Tavares from inside the TD Garden in Boston, Mass.
In his loss, Weidman suffered a knee injury, which is detrimental, especially because the “All-American” was out for two years with a broken leg.
During the UFC 292 post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White revealed that he wants his former UFC Middleweight champion to call it a career.
“I love Chris Weidman. I love him. I love his family. And I think he should retire,” White told reporters. “We talked to Doctor [Davidson], and he thinks he blew his MCL or ACL – he blew one of the CLs. You know, the guy is just coming back from a gruesome injury, and you know, listen, man, ‘Father Time’ is not our friend at all, but definitely, if you’re a professional athlete.”
When asked if he would consider giving Weidman one more fight for a send-off, White doubled down on the retirement.
“First of all, depending on the damage to the knee, we’re talking another year. So I would say, ‘Chris, I love you. Please, please retire,” White concluded.
Weidman has had a Hall of Fame-worthy career if he calls it quits after suffering back-to-back losses, including his gruesome leg break at UFC 261 in 2021. The 39-year-old was the first fighter in the UFC to slay Anderson Silva twice and ended up defending the Middleweight belt three times which is third all-time in UFC Middleweight history. He also picked up three Fight of the Night bonuses and four Performance of the Night checks.
What do you think, Maniacs?
For complete UFC 292 results, coverage, and highlights, click HERE.