Chris Weidman’s return to New York at UFC 309, which some anticipated to be a potential retirement fight, will now not take place. Just hours before he and Eryk Anders were scheduled to make the walk for their fight on the preliminary card at Madison Square Garden, Anders was forced out of the bout with […]
Chris Weidman’s return to New York at UFC 309, which some anticipated to be a potential retirement fight, will now not take place.
Just hours before he and Eryk Anders were scheduled to make the walk for their fight on the preliminary card at Madison Square Garden, Anders was forced out of the bout with a medical issue, per an announcement at the start of the early prelim broadcast.
The reports of the fight’s cancelation were first reported on X by users @TheMMAFoo and @MagicM_MMABets.
Chris Weidman vs Eryk Anders has been cancelled per sources. #ufc309
Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders Scrapped From UFC 309 At Last Minute
This was to be Weidman’s first fight in New York since being knocked out by Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at UFC 230.
Weidman is 1-1 in his comeback from his horrific leg break against Uriah Hall at UFC 261. His retirement bout was not confirmed, but plenty of pundits and fans expected the former middleweight champion to potentially call time on his career after tonight’s bout.
Anders, meanwhile, last fought in March, defeating Jamie Pickett.
As a result of the cancellation, the preliminary card start time has been pushed back to 6:30pm ET.
Chris Weidman is set to face Eryk Anders in a middleweight bout at UFC 309 on November 16, 2024,…
Chris Weidman is set to face Eryk Anders in a middleweight bout at UFC 309 on November 16, 2024, at Madison Square Garden in New York City. This matchup is significant for both fighters, each looking to make a statement in the competitive 185-pound division.
Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders – Odds
According to the latest UFC betting odds, Eryk Anders is considered the favorite to win the fight, while Chris Weidman is the underdog. Specifically, Anders is listed with odds of -180, which means that a bettor would need to wager $180 to potentially win $100 if Anders emerges victorious.
On the other hand, Chris Weidman is listed at +155, indicating that a $100 bet on him could potentially yield a $155 profit if he wins the fight. These odds suggest that the bookmakers and betting markets view Anders as having a higher probability of winning the bout.
Weidman’s wrestling background and technical striking will be pitted against Anders’ raw power and aggressive approach. The outcome may hinge on whether Weidman can utilize his experience and grappling skills to neutralize Anders’ striking threat, or if Anders can keep the fight standing and land his powerful shots.
Former champion Chris Weidman is at a crossroads. He’s taking his future in MMA on a fight-by-fight basis, carefully weighing his performance and how he feels after each bout. A win over Anders could solidify his place among the elite in the middleweight division and potentially set him up for bigger fights. For Anders, defeating a former champion like Weidman would be a major boost to his career.
The 37-year-old Eryk Anders enters this fight with momentum on his side. He’s coming off a unanimous decision win against Jamie Pickett at UFC Vegas 87 in March 2024. Anders is recognized for his explosive power and relentless fighting style, which could pose a threat to Weidman. However, Anders has had an inconsistent record recently, alternating between wins and losses.
For Chris Weidman, this fight represents another step in his comeback journey. The former middleweight champion, now 40 years old, has faced numerous challenges in recent years, including a severe leg injury in 2021 that required extensive recovery. Weidman’s last fight was a technical decision victory over Bruno Silva in March 2024, marking his first win since the injury. Known for his well-rounded skillset combining wrestling and striking, Weidman brings experience and championship pedigree to the octagon.
ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY – MARCH 30: Chris Weidman reacts after his victory against Bruno Silva of Brazil in a middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at Boardwalk Hall Arena on March 30, 2024 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
In the main event of UFC 309, Jon Jones will defend his UFC heavyweight championship against former two-time champion Stipe Miocic. This matchup has been years in the making and pits two greats against each other. Jones is often considered one of the best mixed martial artists of all time and will be looking to cement his legacy in the heavyweight division. Miocic is known for his powerful striking and excellent cardio will aim to reclaim the title and prove he’s still at the top of his game at 42 years old.
Image via: Getty
The co-main event features a lightweight rematch between Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler. Their first encounter at UFC 262 in 2021 was an action-packed affair that saw Oliveira claim the title. UFC 309 is set to take place on November 16, 2024, at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman looks set for another fight close to home later this year when the promotion returns to Madison Square Garden. Weidman has gone 1-1 since making his comeback from a devastating leg break in 2023, most recently getting the better of Bruno Silva via a controversial TKO stoppage in the […]
Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman looks set for another fight close to home later this year when the promotion returns to Madison Square Garden.
Weidman has gone 1-1 since making his comeback from a devastating leg break in 2023, most recently getting the better of Bruno Silva via a controversial TKO stoppage in the third round at the UFC Fight Night in Atlantic City, New Jersey, this past March.
The New York native, who has not won consecutive fights since having his undefeated record blemished and title reign ended by Luke Rockhold in 2015, will look to make it two from two in 2024 in his home state.
Iridium Sports Agency recently revealed on social media that one of its clients, former American football linebacker-turned-UFC middleweight Eryk Anders, is set to share the cage with Weidman on November 16.
While unconfirmed, that date is expected to mark the organization’s return to Madison Square Garden for UFC 309.
Weidman Targets First Win Streak Since 2015 At Anders’ Expense
When they collide, Anders will be looking to stall the potential resurgence of an all-time great of the middleweight division.
Weidman (16-7) achieved title glory as an unbeaten fighter back in 2013, memorably knocking out the previously invincible Anderson Silva at UFC 162. After three successful defenses against Silva, Lyoto Machida, and Vitor Belfort, the Baldwin native was unseated by Rockhold in a Fight of the Night war.
The former champ has won just three of his nine fights since, a disappointing run that includes knockout losses to Gegard Mousasi, Ronaldo Souza, and Dominick Reyes, as well as a gruesome broken leg opposite Uriah Hall in 2021. After falling short in his return bout against Brad Tavares last August, Weidman got back into the winner’s circle this year.
But with that result over Silva coming in controversial fashion after a slew of eye pokes, Weidman will be targeting a definitive triumph when he meets Anders (16-8, 1 NC). “Ya Boi” has struggled with inconsistency after Machida handed him his first loss in a 2018 main event, going 6-7 with one no contest since.
The ex-NFL athlete most recently bounced back from a defeat to Marc-André Barriault in 2023 by outpointing Jamie Pickett this past March. He’ll now look to get the better of Weidman to secure his first string of victories since a double in 2019.
Considering it took place a week before the UFC’s final Pay-Per-View event of the year, UFC Orlando still included quite a few notable names and ended up delivering an entertaining night of action for fans. The card’s loaded lineup of 14 fi…
Considering it took place a week before the UFC’s final Pay-Per-View event of the year, UFC Orlando still included quite a few notable names and ended up delivering an entertaining night of action for fans. The card’s loaded lineup of 14 fights didn’t leave a lot of time for Daniel Cormier to speak to fighters…
Since making the switch from American Football to MMA, Eryk Anders has amassed a pro record of 14-7, currently competing in the UFC’s middleweight division. Since beginning his MMA career, Anders has jumped from strength to strength having faced off against a number of high-level opponents including the likes of Darren Stewart, Lyoto Machida, Thiago […]
Since making the switch from American Football to MMA, Eryk Anders has amassed a pro record of 14-7, currently competing in the UFC’s middleweight division.
Since beginning his MMA career, Anders has jumped from strength to strength having faced off against a number of high-level opponents including the likes of Darren Stewart, Lyoto Machida, Thiago Santos, and Brendan Allen.
Eryk Anders‘ last bout was a controversial split decision loss against Jun Yong Park back in May of this year. However, Anders has also been making moves outside the UFC octagon.
“The South here is starting to be a big hotbed for movie production because the taxes and tax incentives are way better here than they are in California. So they’re coming to Atlanta, they’re coming to Birmingham and they filmed a movie called Embattled with Stephen Dorff… He was the bad guy in the first Blade movie… The stunt coordinators came to the gym for that movie, because it was an MMA movie, and did some stuff there so we got to know the guys.
“Then Cobra Kai moved their production to Atlanta and that same stunt crew got on with Cobra Kai and they were like; ‘hey, we need this big Mexican-looking fella to go fight Johnny Lawrence.’ I was like all right and so I had to audition for the role and everything… I got the part… Took about two days to film my little portion of the it, I think it’s episode one or two of season five which comes out here on September 9th… It was quite the experience and hopefully I get to do it more.”
Nothing hits harder than a comeback. Cobra Kai returns with Season 5, only on Netflix Sept. 9. pic.twitter.com/0auoaVsnX8
Grappling Fury 5 is upon us and Eryk Anders is ready
In the latest installment of Grappling Fury, Eryk Anders takes on fellow UFC middleweight Andre Petroski in a bout that carries a lot of intrigue. Anders is using the matchup to keep himself active in a safe environment, due to grappling contests carrying a lower injury risk than other types of competition. This is especially ideal when considering Anders will take on Kyle Daukas in 14 weeks’ time on a UFC Fight Night card.
Eryk Anders stated: “My last fight was in May and man, I really don’t like a lot of off time so I figured in between fights I could do wrestling tournaments… I used to do them a lot before I got to the UFC and just wanted to stay active without getting beat up. I think Jiu Jitsu and grappling is pretty safe, this grappling tournament there’s no leg attack which I think tis the most common injury in some of these submission Jujitsu tournaments or Grappler tournaments. The heel hooks and leg locks and things like that, but there are none of those so I think it’s pretty safe. Then I’ll compete at worlds in a GI so you know just trying to stay busy stay active and kind of keep those reflexes.”
Check out Eryk Anders’ full interview with LowKickMMA below:
The main card for UFC Vegas 55 featured four decisions and some controversial scorecards, particularly in the women’s bantamweight main event between Ketlen Vieira and Holly Holm. Ketlen Vieira claimed a narrow split-decision victory for the biggest win of her career against former champion Holly Holm. The Brazilian earned 48-47 cards from two judges, while…
The main card for UFC Vegas 55 featured four decisions and some controversial scorecards, particularly in the women’s bantamweight main event between Ketlen Vieira and Holly Holm.
Ketlen Vieira claimed a narrow split-decision victory for the biggest win of her career against former champion Holly Holm. The Brazilian earned 48-47 cards from two judges, while the third judge scored the fight 48-47 in favor of Holm.
The third round of the fight ended up being the difference on the scorecards, likely due to Vieira appearing to rock Holm late in the round. She also very nearly submitted the former champion in the second round.
In the co-main event, Michel Pereira improved his welterweight win streak to five with his own split-decision over Santiago Ponzinibbio. All three judges agreed that Pereira took the first round, but rounds two and three were much less clear. Pereira ended up walking away with a 30-27 and 29-28 scorecard to get the victory.
The results of the main and co-main events brought the event full-circle, as the main card opening bout between middleweights Eryk Anders and Junyong Park also went to a split decision. Park ended up getting the nod in a back-and-forth fight where none of the three rounds received a unanimous score from the judges.
In the only unanimous decision on the main card, Tabatha Ricci picked up her second UFC victory against fellow Brazilian Polyana Viana. “Baby Shark” won rounds 2 and 3 on all three judge’s scorecards.
The only fight of the UFC Vegas 55 main card to not go the distance was the middleweight bout between Chidi Njokuani and Duško Todorovi?. After Todorovi? was able to use his wrestling to control the majority of the opening round, Njokuani landed a vicious elbow to get the knockout victory.
You can check out the full results and highlights from the event here.
What do you think of the judge’s scorecards for this event? Which results do you agree or disagree with?
(@TheMMAfoo) November 16, 2024
(@TheMMAfoo) 
Chris Weidman is set to face Eryk Anders in a middleweight bout at UFC 309 on November 16, 2024,…
Since making the switch from American Football to MMA, Eryk Anders has amassed a pro record of 14-7, currently competing in the UFC’s middleweight division. Since beginning his MMA career, Anders has jumped from strength to strength having faced off against a number of high-level opponents including the likes of Darren Stewart, Lyoto Machida, Thiago […]
