Despite his “traumatic” leg injury, which required two surgeries (and a shop full of metal) to repair, former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman has every intention of making his return to the Octagon in late 2022 or perhaps early 2023.
By then, the “All American” will be 38.
“I still feel like [my abilities are] gonna be there,” Weidman told The MMA Hour. “With this fibula being fixed and everything healing properly, I think I’ll be right back to where I need to be. I’ll be able to deal with anything I need to. I’ll kick someone in the head, I’ll kick someone’s leg again, I’ll let them kick me. I don’t care, I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”
Weidman severed his tibia with a violent, first-round leg kick against Uriah Hall as part of their UFC 261 rematch back in April. The injury awarded “Prime Time” the technical knockout victory and sent Weidman to the sidelines for the foreseeable future.
“But if for some reason I get back on my feet and they’re like, ‘This is the best it’s gonna be, Chris,’ and I’m not able to do the things I used to be able to do, I can’t grapple like I used to, I can’t strike like I used to or move like I used to, I’m not gonna do that to myself,” Weidman continued. “I’m not gonna go in there and just get embarrassed. Unless I think I’m the best in the world, I’m not gonna fight.”
The alternative is to “live your life on pain pills as best as possible.”