Chris Weidman's long-anticipated rematch against Uriah Hall on Saturday at UFC 261 was dramatically cut short when the former middleweight champion suffered a gruesome leg injury that could put his fighting career in jeopardy. The fight ended in just 17 seconds when Weidman snapped his leg after Hall checked a leg kick early in the fight.
Weidman didn't immediately notice the break but collapsed when he tried to put his leg back down. It bent in half and he crumpled to the mat in visible pain. The fight was immediately called off and a hush fell over an otherwise rowdy crowd. CBS Sports called it a tibia break
In a surprising move, UFC President Dana White shared a clip of the horrifying injury, pointing out that Hall became the first fighter in the promotion's history to win without throwing a single strike. Viewer discretion is advised as the injury is VERY brutal.
Hall was visibly distraught after the injury. "I got nothing but respect for Chris Weidman," an emotional Hall said after the fight. "He is truly one of the best. It is a crazy story that he was the first man I fought that defeated me and introduced me to fear. I didn't know what fear was and during that time we went different paths. He was the first one to defeat Anderson [Silva], I was the last. It's just crazy how we ended up here again."
The incident was eerily reminiscent of the Anderson Silva injury at UFC 168 back in December 2013. The UFC legend Anderson Silva suffered a broken tibia and fibula after checking a leg kick. In a sad bit of irony, it was Weidman who was on the opposite side of the Octagon against Silva that night.
Silva did end up returning from his injury a little over a year later and fought seven more times before the UFC released him from his contract. In another interesting twist, Silva's final fight in the UFC came against Uriah Hall. Hopefully, Weidman is able to make a full recovery and return to the Octagon at least once more.