A rather interesting rematch took place at UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Florida on Saturday — and no, it was not Usman vs. Masvidal 2 in the main event.
While that rematch would draw eyeballs, another pair of fighters ran it back when former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman went up against Uriah Hall for the second time.
The duo had first met in 2010, with Weidman finishing Hall on the feet — serving up the first loss of “Primetime’s” career. The rematch, over a decade later, found Hall on a strong run up the middleweight ladder, while Weidman was hoping to rebuild by securing his second straight victory.
Weidman opened things with a snapping leg kick. Unfortunately, a little too literally. Much like the second fight between Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva, Weidman’s attack was checked by Hall — and it snapped Weidman’s leg. The limb wrapped right around Hall’s own leg, and when Weidman put his leg down, the limb folded over again.
Omg UFC fighter Chris Weidman breaks his leg horrifically on the first kick of the fight. #UFC261 pic.twitter.com/U4UdhRWloh
— Mildly Depressed Lakers Fan (@OprahSideClark) April 25, 2021
That was it. Weidman’s leg was snapped in half, and medics immediately attended to him. Taken out on a stretcher, Weidman gave the thumbs up on his way out of the octagon.
The chances of being on both sides of that sort of injury are unthinkable, somewhere between winning the lottery and being struck by lightening. Or having both happen simultaneously. For Weidman, he’s about to learn what Anderson Silva went through to come back from that snapped limb. Immediately following the fight, karma was fingered as the culprit, but realistically, nothing about the injury was anything more than a freakish, tragic mishap.
Can't keep a champion down.
Wishing @ChrisWeidman a speedy recovery 🙏 pic.twitter.com/QuUdDQFVh2
— UFC (@ufc) April 25, 2021
Giving his best to Weidman and his family, Hall said following the fight that regardless of rank, when Weidman was ready, he owed him a fight. Hopefully, Weidman can make it back, but it’s likely to be a long time before he sets foot in the octagon again.
Official Result: Uriah Hall def. Chris Weidman by TKO (injury), Round 1, 0:17
