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Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman suffered a nasty leg break at UFC 261. The injury occurred after he had a low leg kick checked by Uriah Hall. The freak injury was nearly identical to an incident that occurred in 2013 when Weidman himself checked a kick from Anderson Silva.
The minimum time Weidman must stay sidelined has now been officially revealed. According to a report released by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (via MMA Junkie), Weidman will not be allowed to resume training for 180 days and will need orthopedic clearance even then.
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Will Weidman Ever Return?
Weidman is no longer an upcoming prospect, running through the middleweight division, dispatching contenders at will. He turns 37 in the coming months, and will be out of training for an extended period of time.
To once again draw parallels with Anderson Silva, the Brazilian only won one more fight in his career after his leg break against Weidman. A section of UFC fans may advise Weidman to call it quits and save his body from further punishment.
Weidman recently released post-surgery footage onto his Instagram. The video shows Weidman's leg with multiple stitches in it. Whilst it does make for somewhat uncomfortable viewing, it is positive that the surgery went off without a hitch.
UFC 261 Casualties
Weidman was not the only fighter who sustained injuries at UFC 261. Jimmy Crute was on the receiving end of a heavy leg kick from Anthony Smith, numbing his whole leg and forcing the doctor's stoppage. Crute will face the same 180 day medical suspension as Weidman will.
Women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko was successful in defending her title against Jessica Andrade. However, she has also picked up a 180 day suspension for unspecified reasons.
Karl Roberson, Kazula Vargas and Pat Sabbatini were all also medically suspended for the full 180 days. The full list of medical suspensions from UFC 261 can be seen below:
Jorge Masvidal – 60 days
Zhang Weili – 60 days
Valentina Shevchenko – 180 days
Jessica Andrade – 30 days
Chris Weidman – 180 days, needs orthopedic clearance
Jim Crute - 180 days, needs orthopedic clearance
Brendan Allen – 30 days
Karl Roberson – negative MRI required or 180 days
Pat Sabatini X-Ray or MRI clearance required for right thumb or suspended 180 days
Kevin Natividad – 45 days
Kazula Vargas – 180 days
Zhu Rong – 30 days
Liang Na – 45 days
Jeffrey Molina - 14 days
Qileng Aori – 60 days, CT scan required for head and face.
