Former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champ, Chris Weidman, isn’t hanging up his gloves just yet. He’s stepping back into the ring on March 30 at the UFC on ESPN event in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
In the unnumbered event, Weidman will go toe-to-toe with Bruno Silva. The fight will take place inside the iconic Boardwalk Hall. Brazilian journalist Laerte Viana was the first to spill the beans on this matchup.
Shedog, a reliable source, has confirmed that the fight is in the works. Both Weidman and Silva have given a verbal nod to the bout. Now, they’re just waiting for the official contracts from the promotion.
This will be Weidman’s second time in the Octagon since a horrific leg injury in April 2021. He took a two-year break to recover from his broken leg. His comeback was at UFC 292 against Brad Tavares.
Weidman, 39, didn’t have the best return. He lost the decision and took a whopping 41 leg kicks from Tavares. It’s a stark contrast to his early career, where he went 13-0 with three title defenses. Since then, he’s only won twice in nine outings.
Silva, also known as “Blindado,” has had his struggles too. He’s only had one win in his last five fights. His only victory was against Tavares in April 2023. Since then, he’s lost twice in a row to Brendan Allen and Sharabutdin Magomedov.
Silva made a name for himself in 2021. He took down Wellington Turman, Andrew Sanchez, and Jordan Wright. However, his 2022 campaign wasn’t as successful. He lost to future champ Alex Pereira and got submitted by Gerald Meerschaert.
UFC Atlantic City is set to take place on March 30. The main event hasn’t been announced yet. However, a flyweight pairing of Erin Blanchfield vs. Manon Fiorot is expected to be a highlight.
In other fights, strawweights Virna Jandiroba and Lupita Godinez will face off. Andre Petroski and Jacob Malkoun will also collide at 185 pounds.