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Chris Weidman is already up and walking after sustaining a brutal leg injury at UFC 261. Uriah Hall, his opponent, checked an early calf kick thrown by Weidman, causing one of the most horrific injuries UFC fans have seen in recent memory.
In a cruel twist of karma, the injury was eerily similar to what Weidman inflicted on Anderson Silva in 2013. However, Weidman appears to be on the mend, with the injury not affecting him as severely as was initially thought by experts.
Chris Weidman recently posted a video of his first steps since the initial injury, with the relief on his face evident. The post was paired with the following caption:
"I started walking on my own today. Big day. I appreciate all the love and support it has motivated me so much."
Watch the video below:
The freak loss to Uriah Hall came at an unfortunate time for Chris Weidman, who was looking to mount a title run following a dominant win over Omari Akhmedov in 2020. Before the Akhmedov win, Weidman had been riding back-to-back losses against Dominick Reyes and Jacare Souza. It is still unclear whether he will return to MMA after his recovery from the injury.
Overwhelming support for Chris Weidman
Regardless of Weidman's plans for his UFC career, the MMA community has hugely supported him following the injury. Anderson Silva, the man who suffered a very similar injury against Chris Weidman years earlier, took to Instagram in a show of support for the former champion. He wrote:
"My deepest and most sincere sentiments champ. Have faith, I wish you a speedy recovery. In this moment I wish you and your family light, love and knowledge. To the fans of the sport, please respect this moment of this incredible warrior and let's wish that he is 100% very recovered soon. May God bless you and your family @chrisweidman."
Silva also offered words of advice for recovering from such an injury, drawing from his personal experience. In an interview with The Schmo, Silva had the following to say:
"I know how tough it is and I know how much pain you feel, and how much you need to keep your focus for recovery. You stay with your real friends, family, you have physical therapy every day, and it’s tough. I remember when I went back to kicking again I was scared, for three months I was scared to kick, jump, but in one year my leg recovered. Then I kicked normally.”
Watch the interview below:
