Former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman has officially announced his retirement from MMA.
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Weidman joined the UFC 311 Morning Weigh-In Show to announce that he is stepping away from competing.
“Since I decided to get into this sport in 2009, the goal was to be a UFC fighter. Then immediately the goal was to become a UFC world champion. 14 years later, I am here to tell you guys that I am hanging up the gloves. I am no longer going to be fighting for the organization that changed my life in so many ways,” Weidman stated.
“I am super appreciative of anyone who got me here. That’s the breaking news. I just want to thank the UFC for all the opportunities they have given me. It has really become a family.”
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Weidman has had a storied career, including arguably the greatest upset the UFC has ever seen. Weidman worked his way up the middleweight ranks with a 9-0 record, and was set to face MMA legend Anderson Silva at UFC 162: Silva vs. Weidman on July 6, 2013.
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Silva began his usually successful head-dodging movements but was caught by Weidman. Following a flurry of punches, the champion went down, leading to Weidman being crowned the middleweight champion.
The pair would meet again at UFC 168: Weidman vs. Silva 2, in December of that same year. However, Weidman checked a kick from Silva, leading to the challenger breaking his leg.
Weidman would go on a run in the division, defending his title three times to Silva, Lyota Nachida, and Vitor Belfort. He would defeat all three before finally suffering a KO/TKO loss to Luke Rockhold at UFC 194: Aldo vs. McGregor on Dec. 12, 2015.
Weidman’s career would take a turn for the worse following his first KO loss. Yoel Romero and Gerard Mousassi both scored KO/TKOs on the former champion, leading many to believe he should step away from the octagon.
Despite the losses, Weidman would continue his career in the UFC for the next nine years. His last match was against Eryk Anders, where he was immediately overwhelmed and suffered yet another KO/TKO loss.
Weidman leaves the UFC with a 16-8-0 record. Despite the rough run following his championship years, Weidman remains a legend due to his dispatching of Silva.
There are other organizations that Weidman could theoretically sign with, but he did state he is retiring from MMA. Many former UFC stars have signed on as coaches of the new Global Fighters League, so it will be interesting to see if Weidman favors a career in coaching over competing.
For now, it was wonderful watching Weidman compete all these years.
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