Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman spoke recently with James Lynch for Fanatics View about the league releasing approximately 60 fighters by the end of the year. “The All American” is coming off a decision win over Omari Akhmedov in August, and rematches Uriah Hall at UFC 258 on February 13. However, he’s just 2-5 the past five years, and says he knows release is a possibility.
I’m not really worried about it, but I wouldn’t be surprised, said Weidman. There’s nothing that surprises me. I don’t think I’m more special than anybody to where they’re just gonna go like, ‘Oh, Chris Weidman’s a guy we’re just going to keep forever no matter what.’ If I don’t prove I am a world-class fighter and prove that I’m still title challenger ready, then yeah, I can 100 percent see that.
It’s unprecedented that they’re letting guys go with fights on their contract. It really does put everybody in a position if you’re in the UFC like, ‘Oh crap.’ If you’re not winning right now, especially if you’re getting paid a lot of money, it looks like they’re trying to get rid of you and bring these younger guys up who they’re not paying as much money. It seems like they’re kind of focused on that.
The biggest names to date are Anderson Silva, Yoel Romero, and Anthony Johnson, seemingly lending credence to the potential release of a fighter of Weidman’s stature. However, each of those fighters was released for a specific reason. “The Spider” wanted to fight on, and UFC president Dana White wanted to see him retire with his faculties intact. Romero turned down a series of offered fights. And Johnson wanted to be in a promotion that allowed him to promote his cannabis brand. So Weidman is likely safe, even with a loss.
Still, Weidman’s show money heading into his last fight was $335,000. If you are a matchmaker with a budget, that will buy a lot of up and coming talent that could become the next Chris Weidman. So as he says, it could happen.
h/t Farah Hannoun for MMA Junkie
