Chris Weidman leg injury: Understanding the medical aspects of former UFC champ's gruesome injuries and their impact on his MMA career

There aren't many fighters on the UFC roster that have had to overcome the injuries that Chris Weidman has.

At UFC 261, Weidman suffered a devastating leg break during his bout against Uriah Hall. Just 17 seconds into the fight, Hall checked the very first leg kick Weidman threw, causing the former middleweight champ's fibula bone to snap. It was then revealed to be a compound fracture, meaning part of the bone pierced his skin and could be seen outside it.

Watch Chris Weidman's injury here (GRAPHIC WARNING):

Weidman required immediate surgery and had to have a rod placed into his leg to stabilize the broken bone. He was then forced to be on crutches for a minimum of eight weeks.

Months later, Weidman had to undergo a second surgery after doctors learned it wasn't healing correctly. A second rod was placed into his leg to help set his fibula bone.

The former UFC middleweight champ then returned to action in 2023 following a two-year lay-off. He faced Brad Tavares at UFC 292 and lost the bout via unanimous decision. Unfortunately, days after the fight, Weidman revealed he had suffered another injury - a fracture to the upper tibia of his left leg.

Despite all the setbacks, Weidman is still expected to make at least one more walk to the octagon in 2024. As it stands there is no official date for his next bout, but fans of the 39-year-old will be hoping to see him pick up one more victory before calling time on his career.

---

Chris Weidman is set to return at this weekend's UFC Atlantic City event

While the UFC had not officially announced anything, rumors suggested Chris Weidman and Bruno 'Blindado' Silva could be set to clash on March 30.

The promotion later confirmed the news and the fight was officially announced. Weidman and Silva will fight on the UFC Atlantic City main card. The event will be headlined by a women's flyweight bout between No. 2-ranked Erin Blanchfield and No. 3-ranked Manon Fiorot.

After starting his professional MMA career with an unblemished 13-0 record with wins over some of the greatest fighters in the sport's history, Weidman experienced a major career downturn and has lost seven of his nine most recent fights. A potential win over Silva this weekend will be his first since defeating Omari Akhmedov in August 2020.