Chris Weidman barely got the word retirement out of his mouth before he was plotting a return to action after signing a deal to join the roster at the GFL.
The appeal to compete again was largely based around two reasons — getting paid a remarkable amount of money and the chance to avenge a past loss to Luke Rockhold — but in the end, he really got neither when GFL cancelled two planned events and effectively folded before ever really getting off the ground. In the aftermath of that debacle, Weidman didn’t retire again but instead just waited for another opportunity, which came when he signed to fight old rival Anderson Silva in a boxing match as part of the Jake Paul vs. Gervonta “Tank” Davis card on Nov. 14.
Now that event has also been scrapped, but it’s entirely possible Weidman vs. Silva just gets shifted to a later date. Perhaps the more important sidenote is Weidman’s focus on boxing now with the chances of him returning to MMA getting slimmer by the day.
“I can’t see MMA happening if I’m looking at the landscape of MMA right now outside of the UFC,” Weidman told MMA Fighting. “I don’t know if I’d be able to get paid the type of money I’d want to get paid to put my body through that again. It would have to be the right fighter, you know guys that I have history with like a Luke Rockhold or something like that.
“It would have be really good money. I don’t know MMA is there right now at point to do something like that.”
As it stands, the UFC remains the biggest MMA promotion out there by a wide margin with PFL and ONE Championship likely vying for a spot as No. 2 or No. 3 in the sport. By all accounts, GFL is done and Weidman admits the kind of offer he initially received from that promotion would probably be required for him to do another MMA fight.
“I think boxing probably has the best chances of delivering those types of purses and stuff,” Weidman said. “MMA, listen if I get the right call with the right kind of money and the right opponent — I love the game, I love to compete. I’m still in the gym all the time. I love training. I think I’m still really good so why not?”
Money aside, Weidman admitted that a rematch with Rockhold was also a huge selling point about doing MMA again after he lost his UFC title to the former Strikeforce champion in their one and only encounter.
Rockhold also briefly retired after his final fight in the UFC but he’s since gone onto compete in BKFC, Karate Combat and most recently in Misfits Boxing where he suffered a brutal knockout loss to Darren Till.
Afterwards, Rockhold hinted that his competitive days may be done so that likely closes the door on Weidman ever getting his rematch but he’s not losing too much sleep over it.
Despite his desire to get back one of the toughest losses of his entire career, Weidman doesn’t feel the need to attack Rockhold or dance on his grave as he grapples with the aftermath of a devastating knockout in his boxing debut.
“I don’t like to kick people when they’re down,” Weidman said about Rockhold. “That’s definitely a tough loss for him. I hope the best before him. Darren Till looked great. Darren Till looked like a boxer. Luke has been struggling with people coming inside the pocket and pounding on him. It seems like he really does struggle in the pocket. He’s such a good long fighter, and he has a good straight left and stuff from the outside. Till got on the inside, hit him with some big shots and put him out. It was a vicious knockout. That’s the game we play, too.
“It’s not like I’m shitting on him. The game, because I’ve been on both sides at this point as well, a lot of times the best fighter doesn’t win. You watch the fight and people beat themselves. I’m not saying that’s Luke’s position but it’s hard for me judge and not kick him when he’s down. It’s a tough sport. I respect anybody who walks in there because anything can happen.”
Under different circumstances, Weidman could have potentially faced Rockhold in a boxing match but there’s no telling if that could ever happen.
As much attention was paid to booking a fight against Silva, the chance to lace up his gloves and try a new sport was really an exciting proposition for Weidman. Add to that, the now 41-year-old veteran acknowledges that boxing puts far less stress on his body, which also speaks to the reasons why it would take a lot for him to do MMA again.
“The aches and the pains and the soreness and tweaked tendons and ligaments, it’s just non-stop in that sport, especially as you get older,” Weidman said. “Even when you’re younger, I had tons of surgeries because of wrestling starting in high school through college. It’s just a very tough sport. That’s why the guys that do it are the toughest people.
“Just boxing, I almost feel like I’m not working hard enough. I’m drenched after workouts but I just don’t feel that ‘oh my god I don’t know if I can drive home’ feeling I’m so tired. Just using your hands and doing strength and conditioning. I get myself as tired as I possibly can but it’s just not that same grind of doing MMA sparring hard.”
There’s undoubtedly disappointment that both of his recent fights have been cancelled but Weidman is staying open for business when it comes to his next move.
He promises there’s going to come a day when he really does hang up his gloves for good, but there’s also part of Weidman that knows the desire to fight never really goes away. That’s why so many athletes don’t even like to use the word retirement because you’re only really done until a better offer comes along.
“You do not know,” Weidman explained. “You never know the opportunities that could possibly come your way. It’s tough. As a fighter, I could tell you — I think I’m not alone with this — I just love being in training camps. When you’re singularly focused on a goal at the end, eating healthy, working out hard, you just feel good. You’re in the gym, you’re surrounded by your guys. It’s just the best feeling. That’s why for me I think it’s the hardest part about walking away is just being at the gym every day and working hard and pushing through adversity, having goals that you’re trying to achieve, eating healthy. It’s hard for me because I was thinking I was done and I was just going to work with the UFC on TV and I’m in the gym but not as much
“That’s why fighting is so hard to let go for me, just the training aspect. So when I’m done-done, at some point it’s going to happen, who knows when, I have to find a really strong goal, and I also probably have to stay in the gym and make that work.”
Subscribe to my channel
