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Brett Okamoto, ESPN Staff Writer
Former UFC champion Chris Weidman‘s return from a serious leg injury will continue in March, when he takes on Bruno Silva at a UFC Fight Night event in Atlantic City, New Jersey, sources confirmed to ESPN.
UFC is targeting a middleweight matchup between Weidman and Silva for March 30. Contracts have not been signed, sources said, but the bout is expected to be finalized soon.
For Weidman, 39, it will mark his second appearance since he returned from a two-year absence after breaking his leg during a fight against Uriah Hall in April 2021. He returned to the Octagon against Brad Tavares in August, only to suffer another fractured leg and unanimous decision loss.
Weidman (15-7) has two wins in his past nine UFC appearances. He famously won the middleweight belt in 2013 by upsetting Anderson Silva and defended it for the first time when Silva suffered his own broken leg in the second round of their immediate rematch.
Bruno Silva (23-10) enjoyed a breakout year in 2021, when he started his UFC career off with three consecutive wins. Since then, the 34-year-old is 1-4, with losses to current light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira and ranked middleweight Brendan Allen.
Social media user Laerte Viana first reported the matchup.