Exclusive | Chris Weidman comes to Garden with extra UFC 309 motivation

Return to UFC action

Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman will make his Octagon return at UFC 309 on July 6, following a lengthy layoff.

Recovery from broken leg

He is looking to reignite his career at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Weidman snapped his leg in a horrific injury against Uriah Hall in April 2021 and has not fought since. "It was a brutal experience," Weidman told ESPN exclusively. "I knew it was bad as soon as it happened. I tried to get back up and my leg was just flopping around like a wet noodle. It was one of the scariest moments of my life."

Weidman underwent extensive surgery and rehabilitation to repair his leg and is now fully recovered. He has been training hard for his return and is confident that he can still compete at the highest level.

“I'm feeling great,” Weidman said. “I'm in the best shape of my life and I'm ready to get back in there and compete.” Weidman will face Omari Akhmedov in a middleweight bout at UFC 309. Akhmedov is a tough opponent, but Weidman is confident that he has the skills and experience to get the win.

“I know Akhmedov is a tough guy, but I'm not afraid of him,” Weidman said. “I'm going to go out there and do what I do best. I'm going to impose my will on him and get the finish.”

Additional motivation

In addition to his personal desire to return to form, Weidman has extra motivation to perform well at UFC 309. He is fighting in his hometown of New York City for the first time since 2012, and he knows he has a lot of people rooting for him.

“It's going to be amazing to fight in front of my hometown crowd again,” Weidman said. “I've always had a lot of support from the New York fans, and I know they're going to be there for me on July 6. I'm going to give them a show they won't forget.” Weidman is a former NCAA Division I wrestler and has a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He is one of the most well-rounded fighters in the UFC and is known for his powerful striking and grappling skills.

He is excited to be back in action and is confident that he can still be a force in the middleweight division. “I'm not done yet,” Weidman said. “I'm coming back to the UFC to prove that I'm still one of the best in the world. I'm going to win this fight and I'm going to get back to the top.”