It’s Official! Chris Weidman Will Fight at UFC 205 in New York

UFC 205, which will mark the UFC’s long-awaited debut in New York City, New York, is finally starting to take shape.

Last week, the card grew with the addition of several dynamite match ups, including a strawweight title fight between Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Karolina Kowalkiewicz, a women’s bantamweight bout between recent champ Miesha Tate and Raquel Pennington, and a featherweight bout between former lightweight champ Frankie Edgar and Jeremy Stephens. Then, last night, the card finally got its main event, as a long-rumored lightweight title fight between reigning lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez and reigning featherweight champion Conor McGregor was finally made official.

Today, the high-profile UFC 205 announcements continue, as a middleweight showdown between former middleweight champion Chris Weidman and Cuban Olympian Yoel Romero has officially been tacked onto the bill.

Announced on @BoomerandCarton by @danawhite: @ChrisWeidmanUFC vs. @YoelRomeroMMA is official for #UFC205.

— Dave Sholler (@DaveSholler) September 27, 2016

This bout was one of the very first to be rumored for this hotly anticipated card. It’s fruition, however, was barred by a minor contract dispute between Weidman and the UFC. Thankfully, those issues seem to have been squashed, as the bout is now officially a go.

This contest will mark Weidman’s first steps into the Octagon since UFC 194 in December of 2015, when he succumbed to fourth-round punches, and surrendered the UFC middleweight title to Luke Rockhold in the process. Prior to that loss, Weidman was undefeated across his first 13 fights – a stretch that included two wins over middleweight legend Anderson Silva, as well as defeats of Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort.

Romero, meanwhile, has also not stepped foot in the Octagon since UFC 194. On that night, he scored a controversial split decision over fellow contender Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, extending his win-streak to seven in the process. Unfortunately, Romero’s progress was then slowed when he was flagged by USADA for the growth hormone release stimulator ibutamoren – a hiccup that was later proven to be the result of his using a tainted supplement.

The winner of Weidman and Romero’s UFC 205 showdown could well be awarded a shot at the winner of UFC 204’s Michael Bisping vs. Dan Henderson middleweight title fight. Of course, that honor could also be awarded to the winner of Rockhold and Jacare’s November showdown in Australia.

UFC 205 will occur inside New York City’s hallowed Madison Square Garden on November 12. Are you satisfied with the card thus far? Sound off, PENN nation!