Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman surprised the MMA world by joining the Global Fight League (GFL) just days after announcing his retirement from the UFC. The 40-year-old, who was drafted as Team New York’s second pick, clarified his decision during a GFL broadcast, citing unfinished business and enticing opportunities as key motivators.
“The elephant in the room is I just retired from the UFC,” Weidman said. “A lot of people thought I was done fighting. I didn’t know either. I thought maybe I was done. But I was open to other opportunities outside the UFC—if they made sense.”
Weidman highlighted the chance to face familiar rivals as a major factor in his decision to join the GFL.
“This league has a lot of guys I have history with,” Weidman explained. “You’ve got Luke Rockhold, Gegard Mousasi, and Uriah Hall. Rockhold handed me my first career loss—a tough pill to swallow. We were supposed to rematch in the UFC, but it never happened. That’s a fight I’d love to have.
“Then there’s Uriah Hall, who broke my leg in my last fight. He was a gentleman about it, but we’ve fought twice before. These are older guys with whom I share a history. I love to compete, and financial opportunities here make it hard to say no. It’s an exciting time for me.”
Weidman last competed at UFC 310 in December, where he suffered a second-round knockout loss to Eryk Anders. The former champion previously achieved fame by dethroning Anderson Silva to claim the middleweight title in 2013 and successfully defending it three times before his career began to decline.
The GFL offers Weidman a fresh chapter, allowing him to settle old scores and reestablish himself in a competitive environment designed for veteran fighters. Fans eagerly await potential rematches with Rockhold, Hall, and Mousasi, making Weidman’s GFL debut one of the most anticipated moments in the league’s history.
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