Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight kingpin Chris Weidman wants to be champion again, so if the 185-pound division is going to spend the next two years trying to clear up its title picture, then “All American” will be forced to make the jump to light heavyweight.
Just not the “awesome” way he had in mind.
That’s because “idiot” Michael Bisping has not defended his middleweight title since last October and will cross the one-year mark for inactivity when he collides with Georges St-Pierre at UFC 217 in New York.
The winner of that contest is expected to unify the titles against interim straphanger Robert Whittaker, while Luke Rockhold also has a legitimate shot to reclaim his crown if he’s able to dispose of David Branch in Pittsburgh.
Weidman shares his middleweight outlook with Submission Radio:
“My goal is to be the champ and there’s no way of me getting to have the belt for two years or more just based on other people taking their time with taking fights. It’s a weird place to be, it’s not interesting. I mean, if 185 doesn’t like, things don’t change, I want to maybe think about possibly going to 205. So if there’s a clear picture to a title at 205, then I would consider that. Let’s see, maybe Bisping or maybe GSP gets injured, I don’t know, and then I’ll be ready to go for November and Bisping won’t be able to scatter away from a guy like me. So that would be something that would work out for me nice for me. I’m in New York, I’m ready to go.”
Weidman (14-3) snapped a three-fight losing streak by submitting welterweight import Kelvin Gastelum at the UFC on FOX 25 event last month in New York, the first time “All American” has seen the win column since early 2015.
Currently ranked No. 5 at 185 pounds, Weidman, 33, has a lot of work to do if he hopes to get another crack at the division crown, though he probably won’t find a path to the title any clearer at light heavyweight.
Especially not if this pans out.
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