Chris Weidman Says Move Up To Light Heavyweight Is Possible
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champ Chris Weidman (13-2) has had a rough year in 2016. The former 185-pound ruler lost his gold in late 2015 and looked to get back on track this year. Unfortunately for Weidman, he couldn’t participate in his title rematch against Luke Rockhold due to an injury.
Weidman underwent neck surgery to repair herniated discs and didn’t see action for 11 months. When he finally did return to the Octagon, he met Yoel Romero at UFC 205 in New York City, and a win likely would’ve earned Weidman a title bout against Michael Bisping.
A nasty knee put a dent in those plans.
Having lost two in a row by finish, many are wondering what’s next for Weidman. Fans and analysts have pondered whether a move to light heavyweight could benefit “All-American.”
Weidman was in attendance at UFC Fight Night 102 in Albany and spoke to the media backstage. During the scrum, Weidman discussed the possibility of him going up to the 205-pound division (via MMAJunkie):
“I know a lot of people are mentioning me going to 205, which could be a possibility, but I would need a little more time to go up there. Just gain some size.”
Despite confirming the possibility of giving the light heavyweight division a go, Weidman isn’t quite done as a middleweight. He says he believes he can quickly get back in the title hunt.
“I know I lost two in a row, but (if) I win maybe two good fights I think I’m right there for title contention given all my accolades I’ve had already. It’s really not a far fetched thing to get back in it for a title quickly.”
Would you like to see Weidman compete in the light heavyweight division, or should he stay at middleweight?
