Make no mistake: Chris Weidman won the fight of his life just by stepping into the cage at UFC 292 on Saturday night in Boston, MA.
Weidman was returning from a horrifically broken leg suffered over two years ago against Uriah Hall, the same sort of break Anderson Silva suffered against Weidman himself. On Saturday, welcoming the former middleweight champ back to the cage was the always-game Brad Tavares.
After a bit of a stalemate early, Weidman shot for a takedown, only for Tavares to fight it off. In return, Tavares landed a solid right hand that had Weidman retreating. Weidman, undeterred, went back in on a double-leg attempt, converted to a single, and had to drop the attempt. Moments later, a law blow landed on “The All-American,” a rather rude welcome back for Weidman.
Just shy of a minute into the possible five-minute break, Weidman indicated he was good to go. He appeared to graze the eye of Tavares, who signalled the foul to Weidman, who seemingly apologized/acknowledged his fingers had been extended — all without the ref getting involved. Weidman, meanwhile, landed a counter right, while Tavares connected to a low kick to Weidman’s lead leg. Luckily, not the surgically repaired leg. Another single-leg attempt came from Weidman, but he was low down on the leg, with little time remaining. Tavares finished the round coming in with an uppercut.
Tavares chopped at Weidman’s lead leg early in the second; about 30 seconds in, he went high, with Weidman blocking the head kick. Another leg kick saw Wiedman hobbled, limping, and that was his good leg. Tavares, patient, continued to chop at the leg, and pick his shots. Weidman refused to go quietly however, closing the distance and landing on Tavares, hurting him. Tavares recovered, and went back on his kicking attack, with Weidman urging him to stand and fight. Both of Weidman’s legs were compromised now. Weidman then went after a takedown, but the ref dove in as the attempt had come off a kick that grazed the cup.
The crowd did not like that call, with a bullsh*t chant erupting.
On the restart, it was Weidman on the attack, but Tavares again attacked the leg. But Weidman punched his way in, changed levels, and stayed on the attempt only for Tavares to fight it off again. Stellar takedown defense from Tavares off one of Weidman’s better attempts. Weidman would close the distance, fire a head kick, and look for another takedown, with Tavares again stuffing the attempt. A better round for Chris Weidman overall, but he was likely down.
Round three opened with another low blow, this one landing on Weidman. When the action did get underway, the leg kick frenzy from Brad Tavares continued. He turned up the heat, but Weidman was hanging in there, going on the attack, landing a right hand — only to have another takedown attempt stuffed. An attempt at a trip failed shortly after for Weidman, whose best weapon, his wrestling, had been neutralized. Weidman would land a big left hook, eat more leg kicks, and get one final flurry in with his corner hollering at him that time was running short. Ultimately, they went to the buzzer — a moral victory of sorts for Weidman, a triumph of will, but an actual win for Brad Tavares, whose leg-kick heavy game plan won him the fight.
Official Result: Brad Tavares def. Chris Weidman by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
