Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson reveals if brother-in-law Chris Weidman will fight again after horrific injury

Chris Weidman snapped his right leg at UFC 261 when his kick was partially checked by UFC middleweight Uriah Hall. The grave injury has left the MMA community wondering if the All-American will ever set foot inside the octagon.

Chris Weidman's brother-in-law, UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson, believes the former champion will continue his chase for the title. In an interview with TMZ Sports, 'Wonderboy' hailed Weidman's mental fortitude, recollecting the instance where he first trained alongside the NCAA champion. Thompson said:

"When I first started training with Chris Weidman, it was before he was the champion. And I realized, when he got the title, why he was the champion. The grind that he puts himself through. The mental toughness and spiritual toughness this guy has is unbreakable. So, knowing that about him, I know for a fact he will come back."

Chris Weidman is said to have sustained an open fracture of the tibia and fibula in his right leg. The former middleweight champion's kicking ability might be vastly hindered due to a compound fracture. However, "Wonderboy" believes Weidman won't be fazed by the compromised leg as he predominantly relies on his wrestling acumen. Stephen Thompson explained:

"He can never throw a kick again and still dominate in his division. He is not known for his kicking, he is known for his striking, his wrestling. That's the thing that makes it not very worrisome."

Chris Weidman is in good spirits despite the gruesome

injury

Dana White shared a clip of Chris Weidman's leg snap via Twitter at UFC 261. The UFC president claimed that the Weidman vs Hall bout marked the first instance where a UFC fighter won without throwing a single strike.

(Warning: The following video contains disturbing imagery. Viewer discretion advised)

The first fighter in @ufc history to win without a single strike thrown #UFC261 pic.twitter.com/zxyu5XhYu3

— danawhite (@danawhite) April 25, 2021

Chris Weidman exited the octagon on a stretcher and was immediately hospitalized. The former champion later posted a video on various social media handles, providing an update on his injury. In a heartfelt message, Chris Weidman said:

"It's pretty brutal but I'm going to get through this. It's going to be eight weeks till I can walk without crutches. As far as like actual training, I don't know. They said between six and twelve months, I'd be good to go. Trying to find the blessing in disguise."

“It’s pretty brutal, but I’m gonna get through it… Trying to find the blessing in disguise, the silver lining of this.”@chrisweidman provided an update from the hospital on his leg injury suffered at #UFC261 and a possible recovery timeline. pic.twitter.com/WpPuGKpOSN

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 26, 2021