Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva shared one of the most prominent rivalries in the history of the UFC’s middleweight division after Weidman pulled off the upset over Silva at UFC 162. Weidman would then make his first title defense against Silva at UFC 168, earning the win via TKO due to Silva snapping his leg in the second round of the fight.
Eight years later, and Weidman and Silva are on completely different sides of their respective careers. Weidman is out indefinitely after suffering a similar leg injury to Silva’s at UFC 261 while Silva is beginning his transition into Boxing after a Hall of Fame career in Mixed Martial Arts.
As Weidman begins his recovery and potential comeback to the UFC octagon, he and Silva shared a special moment during Weidman’s inaugural podcast episode of “Won’t Back Down”. While the main purpose of the podcast was to have a general conversation and catch-up, Weidman took the opportunity to make amends after appearing to celebrate Silva’s leg injury in the octagon at UFC 168.
“The first thing I thought about when my leg snapped was ‘This is Anderson Silva. Like, my leg looks like Anderson Silva’s’ and that’s when the pain started coming in,” Weidman said on his “Won’t Back Down” podcast. “I remember hearing you screaming when you got hurt and I empathized so much with that. So, I wanted to apologize to you for how I acted when you got hurt because I completely understand the trials and tribulations that come with an experience like that.”
Weidman called the apology “therapeutic” and something had been on his mind for years, especially after suffering his own injury against Uriah Hall. Silva is scheduled to make his boxing debut this weekend against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a “Tribute To The Kings” event.
As for Weidman, he’s had a remarkable start to his rehabilitation as he’s already doing low-impact training in the gym. He hopes to make a return the octagon after undergoing a full recovery.
What are your thoughts on Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman’s conversation about their fights?