A victorious comeback is surely every fighter’s dream. But that was not the case with Chirs Weidman. Should Chirs not have been competing if he knew he wasn’t completely healed? Did Brad have an advantage due to Chris’s injury? How has this loss affected Chris both mentally and physically? Continue reading to find out!
The former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman had his first appearance since April 2021, but Brad Tavares spoiled his comeback from a bad leg injury. Seeing that Chris wasn’t healed well yet, was Brad deserving of the win? The middleweight fight was the final match of the UFC 292 preliminary night in Boston’s TD Garden, and the audience was hoping for a win for Weidman (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC). But Tavares (20-9 MMA, 15-8 UFC) was desperate for a victory, and he finally grabbed it after 15 minutes, receiving unanimous 30-27 scores from the referees. The first few seconds were filled with the chants of
Boston’s audience was in support of Weidman while the fighters assessed the distance. The former champion attempted a takedown early on, but it was blocked, and Tavares quickly delivered a clean combination. Weidman kept looking for the takedown, but he couldn’t find it. The remainder of the round was fought on foot, where Tavares landed cleaner punches and leg kicks after a big low blow from him briefly stopped the fight. Tavares’s early strikes caused severe damage to Weidman’s already damaged legs. For a moment, it appeared the fight may have been close to a stoppage, but Weidman was able to gather himself and return fire. Weidman is surely the one not to give up easily! Weidman caught Tavares with a hard punch that buckled him momentarily. Though a blow later halted the momentum that Weidman had developed. Weidman kept up the pressure when the fight resumed, trying to take Tavares down and kick him in the head.
Unfortunately, a low blow from Tavares landed again in the first minute of the third round as both fighters threw kicks at the same time. The former champ kept a straight face for the rest of the fight as Tavares targeted the leg and got the better of the final exchanges. Tavares ends a two-fight losing streak by getting back into the victory column. Tavares had two decision victories against Antonio Carlos Junior and Omari Akhmedov before losing to Dricus Du Plessis and Bruno Silva. The outcome of the bout marked Weidman’s second straight defeat. At UFC 261, during the opening frame against Uriah Hall, he shattered his leg, necessitating many surgeries and a drawn-out recuperation period. The former champion’s most recent victory came in August 2020 when Omari Akhmedov was the unanimous winner. The match ended with Brad being victorious. Although there exists a fine possibility that Weidman’s injury gave him the greater edge.
Did Weidman ruin his possibility of a great comeback by coming into the octagon too early before he was properly healed? What do you think would have happened if the fighter hadn’t been injured? Don’t forget to let us know what you think in the comment section!
