Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman really wants to get back inside of the Octagon, but the New York native currently has a thumb that just won’t heal.
Weidman, 33, has been dealing with the injury since last year and really doesn’t know when he will wake up to some relief. Luckily for fight fans, “The All-American” is trying his best to push through the ailment and continue his road back to a title.
“The thumb is…it’s healing slow, man. It was definitely a serious injury,” Weidman said in a recent interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani (shown above). “This is the scar right now, check that out. Seven inches? I don’t know. Basically they took a tendon out of my wrist and used that to create a new ligament in the base of my thumb. I’m actually starting to hit the bag a little bit now, but grabbing and wrestling is still painful…it’s weak still so i’m just trying to push through it.”
If everything goes as planned (to this point it has not) Weidman will be looking to schedule a fight in the near future. While there’s a small chance that the former champion can make it back for UFC 223 on April 7 from Brooklyn, New York, Weidman isn’t making any promises just yet.
“I’m hoping maybe the next month that the sharp pain starts going away and I can get a fight scheduled. I mean listen, I don’t know.” Weidman responded when asked if he could potentially return in Brooklyn. “I feel like sometimes with injuries like this, overnight it just is better. Right now it’s not but it could be tomorrow or it could be a month from now so I don’t know. “
Weidman, who has competed in the state of New York his last three outings, is coming off a huge submission win over Kelvin Gastelum at UFC on FOX 25 this past July that ended a three-fight losing streak. In order to build off his victory over Gastelum and return to prominence in the 185-pound division, Weidman is willing to take on any suitor that gets him closer to UFC gold.
“Whoever brings me to that title shot.” Weidman said. “The weight class is interesting right now so if there’s an opportunity for me to fight for the belt i’m ready to do it, If there’s other guy’s that I have to fight before that we’ll do that too.”
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