What happened to Chris Weidman? Know about the former UFC champion's injury-plagued career ahead of return documentary

Chris Weidman recently opened up about the injury issues that have plagued him in his career. Weidman, a former UFC middleweight champion, suffered the most gruesome injury of his career at UFC 261 in April 2021.

In a first-round TKO defeat, 'The All-American' broke his right tibia and fibula after his leg kick was checked by his opponent Uriah Hall. The infamous UFC 261 Chris Weidman injury is, to date, regarded as one of the worst injuries in combat sports history.

Weidman was hospitalized immediately. The highly-accomplished wrestler and MMA star underwent extensive rehabilitation on his leg. He made his long-awaited return at UFC 292 in August 2023, losing to Brad Tavares via unanimous decision.

During an appearance on ESPN MMA's DC & Friends, Weidman spoke to UFC legend Daniel Cormier regarding his upcoming ESPN documentary.

The E60 documentary, 'Chris Weidman: The Return,' premiered on Sunday, December 17, 2023, at 8:30 pm ET. It's now available for streaming on ESPN+. It comprises a behind-the-scenes look at Weidman's comeback from the rare, horrific leg injury.

During his appearance on DC & Friends ahead of the documentary's release, Weidman revealed that he's had around 30 surgeries. That includes the "four surgeries, infections," and other issues related to his UFC 261 leg injury. He's also dealt with neck injuries. Weidman stated:

"I had 25 surgeries before my leg snapped in half. Then, I had four surgeries from the leg. There was a shoulder surgery I had that I didn't even talk about during these last two years before this Tavares fight. I've been riddled with injuries my entire career."

At the 45:50-minute and the 46:50-minute mark of the interview, Weidman notably asserted:

"I've now had 30 surgeries total, and I've been through tons of setbacks, and I've been able to overcome it ... Actually, my left leg fractured in that [Tavares] fight from him kicking it so much."

Watch Weidman discuss the topic below (35:52 to 49:20):

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Chris Weidman leg injury: Former UFC champion addresses the documentary about his MMA return

Chris Weidman's UFC 292 matchup against Brad Tavares in August also happens to be the former middleweight kingpin's most recent MMA bout. His name had been making headlines in the MMA community courtesy of his documentary that features his courageous journey back to the octagon after his UFC 261 leg injury.

For his part, Chris Weidman has put forth a tweet, expressing his gratitude towards the UFC and ESPN for documenting his comeback. The 39-year-old has consistently maintained that he's glad that his story is able to reach a wider audience and inspire others.

Moreover, as seen in the documentary's trailer he re-tweeted, Weidman suggested that he aims to reach the top again and not just compete in a couple of fights:

"I'm not doing this just to get a couple of fights in. The motivation is to shock the world."

Watch Weidman discuss the topic below: