Chris Weidman hits back at calls for retirement after UFC 292 loss: “I’m not done”

Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman isn’t quite done yet.

The former All-American wrestler made his long-awaited return at UFC 292 on Saturday night. Back opposite Brad Tavares, the fight was Chris Weidman’s first since 2021. At UFC 261 that April, he famously snapped his leg in his rematch against Uriah Hall.

The former champion was implored to retire back by many, then but declined. For two years, Chris Weidman attempted to recover, undergoing over 20 surgeries to return to the cage. Sadly in his return at UFC 292, he suffered a unanimous decision loss to the Hawaiian.

Since the defeat, many, including Dana White, have called for Chris Weidman’s retirement. However, in an interview with ESPN, the former champion revealed his plans to keep competing. Having spoken of title aspirations during fight week, it seems the longtime contender has no plans of letting go of fighting now.

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(via Cooper Neil/Zuffa LLC)

“It was some experience. I was really grateful the whole time,” Chris Weidman stated to ESPN following his UFC 292 loss to Brad Tavares. “Just to make that walk again, not knowing if I would’ve been able to do this again. To be back in this arena and have a fight week and make weight and everything, I was really grateful for it. The energy in the crowd was really something, I can’t thank them enough.”

He continued, “To have that much love, to have that many people around the world have an understanding of what I went through. What it really took to get here and they really came out hard to support me. Even in a fight that I lost, was awesome to me… Whatever you want to accomplish, you can do it.”

“I’m not done, so I’ll be back better than ever. But this was a good opportunity to get back in the octagon.”

What do you make of these comments? Do you think Chris Weidman should retire?