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Marc RaimondiESPN
A former UFC champion is leaving behind his former division.
Chris Weidman announced Saturday on Ariel Helwani’s ESPN Radio show that he will be moving up from middleweight to light heavyweight. The New York native added that he is planning a return from multiple injuries around October.
Weidman (14-4) was the UFC middleweight champion from 2013 to 2015. The former All-American wrestler at Hofstra won the belt by dethroning legendary champion Anderson Silva, snapping Silva’s then-record 10 consecutive title defenses. It was one of the most shocking knockouts in MMA history.
Weidman, 34, has been plagued by injuries in recent years, particularly a bad tear of ligaments in his thumb. He was knocked out by Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza at UFC 230 last November and has lost four of five.