Chris Weidman undergoes successful surgery after horrific leg break at UFC 261

Former middleweight champion snapped his leg at the shin 17 seconds into his fight with Uriah Hall

Alex Pattle
Monday 26 April 2021 09:52 BST
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UFC medics check on Chris Weidman at UFC 261 following his leg break
UFC medics check on Chris Weidman at UFC 261 following his leg break (Getty Images)

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Chris Weidman has undergone successful surgery after breaking his leg at UFC 261 on Saturday.

The former middleweight champion suffered the horrific injury just 17 seconds into his clash with Uriah Hall, the American’s leg snapping at the shin as his opponent blocked a low kick.

The bout was immediately waved off as Weidman, 36, fell to the mat in agony.

Hall, whom Weidman knocked out in 2010 before either fighter had signed for the UFC, could not bring himself to watch as the former titleholder was treated in the Octagon.

Weidman was soon carried out of the ring on a stretcher and transported to a local hospital.

He underwent surgery on Sunday and later posted an update on his Instagram.

“The pain is pretty bad,” Weidman said. “I think it’s like 3.30 in the morning. They’re trying to get me some more pain meds now.

“I know Uriah Hall was super classy and upset this happened to me, and I really appreciate that. It’s pretty brutal, but I’m gonna get through this. I think it’s gonna be eight weeks ‘til I can walk without crutches and stuff and drive and all that.

“As far as actual training, I don’t know. They said between six and 12 months, I’ll be good to go. I’m trying to find the blessing in disguise, the silver lining in this.

“Honestly, as soon as it happened and I hit the mat, saw what happened and the pain started hitting me, I was just trying to put my mind on something positive that’s gonna come out of this.

“This is not fun, I can’t believe it happened. I just appreciate all my family, my friends and fans.

“[And] the surgery was successful. They put a titanium rod through the tibia. They go through the knee and drill it through the tibia, make it straight and hard. My fibula was broken as well, but I guess when they put the tibia back together and my leg was straight, the fibula kind of matched back up to where it was broken.”

Bizarrely, Weidman caused former middleweight champion Anderson Silva to suffer the exact same injury in 2013, breaking the Brazilian’s leg by blocking a low kick.

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