Chris Weidman eyes triumphant return to UFC title fight with Israel Adesanya: ‘I love that matchup’

Booked to make his first Octagon return since suffering a compound fracture to his right tibia and fibula back in 2021, former undisputed middleweight champion, Chris Weidman will look to springboard a UFC 292 comeback into a potential future championship fight, with current kingpin, Israel Adesanya.

Weidman, a former undisputed middleweight champion, has been sidelined since suffering a horrific leg fracture back in April 2021 in a rematch with the now-retired, Uriah Hall – suffering a TKO loss just 17-seconds into the opening round of his main card clash.

And earlier this week, reports emerged detailing how New York favorite, Weidman would be returning to the Octagon at UFC 292 in August in Boston, Massachusetts – drawing veteran middleweight contender, Brad Tavares on the East Coast.

Chris Weidman eyes future middleweight title fight after UFC return

Commenting on his return to active competition against Tavares in the summer, Weidman revealed he still plans to reclaim middleweight gold in the future – in the form of a fight with would-be common-foe, Adesanya.

“And just climb up the rankings, earn my way back to a title fight,” Chris Weidman said on his podcast. “I love the champion, Israel Adesanya. I love that matchup. That’s the goal, is to get there and to get a fight with him. I am on a mission to make that happen. And it’s not gonna come easy, but I’m excited for all the hard work and the discipline and everything it’s gonna take to get there. I know I have the tools, and I have everything it takes to do it.” 

Winning middleweight gold against Anderson Silva back in 2013, Weidman, a staple of Serra-Longo MMA Fight Team, landed consecutive successful title defenses over Brazilian trio, Silva, Lyoto Machida, and Vitor Belfort – before dropping his crown to Luke Rockhold.