Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight
champ Chris
Weidman is not ready to call it quits just yet.
Weidman (15-7) will be returning to action on March 30 at the
unnumbered UFC on
ESPN event in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The former kingpin of
185 pounds will battle it out against Bruno Silva
(23-10) at middleweight inside of the Boardwalk Hall. News of this
pairing first came from Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana, and
Sherdog has confirmed from sources close to the situation that the
fight is currently in the works. Both men have verbally agreed to
the bout, and they are awaiting contracts from the promotion.
This will be Weidman’s second appearance in the Octagon since a
gruesome leg injury suffered against Uriah Hall in
April 2021. “The All-American” took over two years off to recoup
from his broken leg, and he returned at UFC 292 to face perennial
contender Brad
Tavares. Weidman, 39, lost a decision and endured a whopping
41 leg
kicks from his foe to reach the final horn. While Weidman
started his career at 13-0 while racking up three title defenses,
he has since won twice while losing seven outings.
“Blindado” Silva has also struggled as of late, victor of just one
in his last five. That win came over Tavares in April 2023, and he
has since dropped two in a row to Brendan
Allen and Sharabutdin
Magomedov. The burly brawler burst onto the scene in 2021 by
laying waste to Wellington
Turman, Andrew
Sanchez and Jordan
Wright to wrap up a banner year. His 2022 campaign was not
nearly as successful, as future champ Alex
Pereira captured a decision over him and Gerald
Meerschaert submitted him.
UFC Atlantic City will take place on March 30 inside of the
Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The main event has not
yet been announced, although a flyweight pairing of Erin
Blanchfield vs. Manon
Fiorot will serve high on its billing. Additionally,
strawweights toe the line as Virna
Jandiroba fights Lupita
Godinez, while Andre
Petroski and Jacob
Malkoun collide at 185 pounds.