If there’s one person who understands what Chris Weidman is going through right now, it’s Anderson Silva. Read the message “The Spider” had for “All American.”
There’s a theory that the entire universe is actually just a complex simulation similar to the Matrix, with an unknown force tweaking variables and changing outcomes as some sort of experiment. Who knows if it’s true, but what we witnessed at UFC 261 was certainly strange enough to lead credence to the idea.
During the Uriah Hall vs. Chris Weidman fight, “All American” threw a hard kick that connected with Hall’s shin, snapping his leg in half (watch it here from multiple angles … if you’ve got the stomach for it).
Clean breaks of the fibula and tibia that result in this kind of horrific injury are more common in mixed martial arts (MMA) than you’d like to know, but in UFC it’s only happened twice before: Corey Hill broke his leg on Dale Hartt’s shin in 2008 … and Silva broke his leg on Weidman’s shin in 2013.
Can’t keep a champion down.
Wishing @ChrisWeidman a speedy recovery pic.twitter.com/QuUdDQFVh2
— UFC (@ufc) April 25, 2021
So the whole thing went full circle: now it’s Weidman suffering the same injury that happened to Silva, in a fight that effectively ended Silva’s reign as the greatest fighter in the world. In another eerie echo, Weidman’s opponent Uriah Hall was often called the next Anderson Silva early in his career.
Spooky irony and coincidences aside, “The Spider” reached out on social media soon after with a message for Weidman.
“My deepest and most sincere sentiments, champ,” Silva wrote. “Have faith, I wish you a speedy recovery. In this moment I wish you and your family light, love and knowledge. To the fans of the sport, please respect this moment of this incredible warrior and let’s wish that he is 100% very recovered soon. May God bless you and your family Chris Weidman.”
During the UFC 261 post-fight press conference (watch it here), UFC President, Dana White, revealed that Weidman’s injury had been stabilized at the hospital and he’d be undergoing surgery on Sunday.
Here’s hoping for a full recovery!
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