Chris Weidman has admitted that he has already overcome difficulties to return to the UFC after breaking his leg in half against Uriah Hall in 2021.
Weidman writhes in pain as bones protrude through his skin, forever changing the trajectory of his career. Eventually he underwent four surgeries on his leg to repair the damage, but then problems arose during recovery.
Heather Linden, a physical therapist at the UFC Performance Institute, called the compound fracture Weidman sustained in his leg “absolutely the most devastating injury.” [fighters] Experience with the E:60 special that marked his comeback.” Weidman, who has undergone a total of 30 surgeries over the years, confesses that he was no better than a broken leg.
“I've got a little bit of everything at this point,” Weidman told MMA Fighting. “I've had every kind of injury you can think of, every joint you can think of, and I've overcome it and gotten back in the Octagon.
“I made things happen. This is the worst ever.”
Weidman believes his previous knee surgery, as well as a compound fracture in his leg, left him with further disability, which made his recovery and rehabilitation even more difficult.
“For me in particular, it seems to be probably worse than others because I've already had 10 knee surgeries on this leg,” Weidman said. “Now they take a titanium rod and drill it from above my knee, through my knee joint, which already has arthritis and has a lot of problems, down to my knee. So now I don't have the muscles in my lower legs to protect my knees and protect my legs like I used to. My quadriceps, they've all atrophied. And then the bones start to break down into the skin. And it pierced through the muscles and caused problems with the nerves. Muscles, nerves, there's a lot going on there. There's a lot to deal with.
“Obviously, things didn't go my way, so I had four surgeries. You always have to be ready to roll with the punches and keep going with a positive attitude. That's what I always strive for, Because it's still a battle. My legs aren't 100 percent yet. I don't think they'll ever be 100 percent, but I can't give up. I've got to keep doing it.”
Despite all the setbacks, Weidman eventually got his legs back good enough to fight again, but the results didn't go his way. In August of this year, he ultimately admitted that he had trouble kicking with his injured leg, had his unanimous decision against Brad Tavares withdrawn, and suffered a hairline fracture in his other leg by the end of the bout. .
Four weeks of recovery followed, but Weidman quickly returned to the gym and began preparing for his next UFC bout.
That day is fast approaching, as Weidman takes on Bruno Silva on Saturday's UFC Atlantic City card in New Jersey. Shortly after the fight was announced, he confessed that his body was going through the ringer and that the fight against Silva could “could be my last fight.”
Weidman responded to these comments after the start of training camp, saying that his decision to retire will not actually be determined by the outcome of the fight with Silva, but by the two-month training camp he endured in preparation. I made it clear. The battle ahead.
“I haven't really looked at the outcome of this game to decide if this is going to be my last game or not,” Weidman said. “I'm going to determine whether this is going to be my last by how I feel during this training camp. It's probably going to be two things: my motivation, how excited I am to train every day; etc. My pain — How much pain am I in every day? Is my body done? Can I still take it? Can I still compete at the highest level? Am I having fun? That's both motivation and pain.
“If my body can survive this camp, I'm not miserable going to the gym every day, I'm actually having a good time, I love it, and my pain is mild to moderate, then I'm going to keep going. I love this more than anything. I know I'm really good at it and can accomplish bigger things, but it's up to my body to tolerate it and I'll still do it. I’m excited about that.”
Weidman says enduring the pain is probably the worst part of the many injuries he's had over the years, but especially when he broke his foot in 2021. He knows his leg will never actually heal completely, because he's walking around now. To stabilize everything, a titanium rod was screwed into the bone.
Weidman loves training and working out with his teammates, but he can't put his body through irreversible damage.
“If you're in pain during your warm-up, you're going to try to bounce a little bit to get ready for practice, but being in pain just takes away your excitement,” Weidman said. “Right now I can't wait, but I'm looking forward to getting through a really fun workout.”
Thankfully, Weidman felt better than ever when he began training camp for the fight in Atlantic City, and he didn't have to take medically prescribed painkillers. Assuming it lasts until the fight, I expect Weidman to keep fighting, but his final decision will really be up to his body and what it can and cannot endure anymore. right.
“I feel really good right now,” Weidman said. “To be honest, I'm having a lot of fun in the room. I love training, but if that training only becomes a problem for me, I'm definitely done. I also know the other side of it. – You don't want to get hit in the head for a long time to survive. In the end, it could be the next shot that has long-term effects. I know that, too. , I also know that you only live once, and if you love something and you happen to be one of the best people in the world at it, it's hard to give it up.
“Imagine, for anyone who wants to think about it, think about being the best in the world at something. You love doing it and now you're old and you have to stop.” Hmm. If it’s not good enough, I understand, but if it’s still good enough, I’ll stay there.”
