Chris Weidman defends UFC Atlantic City win over Bruno Silva despite eye pokes: ‘He was looking for a way out’
Scoring his first victory in almost four years last night on the main card of UFC Atlantic City, former undisputed middleweight champion, Chris Weidman has defended his unanimous decision win over Bruno Silva – after landing multiple eye pokes ahead of the finishing sequence, suggesting the Brazilian was looking for “a way out” of their clash.
Weidman, a former undisputed middleweight titleholder, made his return to the Octagon for the first time since 2021 last August, dropping a decision loss to Brad Tavares in his first outing since he suffered a catastrophic compound fracture of his right tibia and fibula.
Landing a slew of inadvertent eye pokes in the second round against Silva last night, which required a stoppage in the action and a subsequent time out, Weidman then appeared to drop the former midway through the third round on the feet.
Scoring a TKO victory over the Brazilian, Baldwin veteran, Weidman was confirmed as the bout winner via that exact method, before use of the replay following the stoppage saw the result overturned to an egregious decision win for the New Yorker, despite landing at least two eye pokes ahead of the finish.
Chris Weidman defends win over Bruno Silva in controversial victory
Defending his victory over Silva, Serra-Longo MMA staple, Weidman speculated that the former was likely looking for a way out of the main card bout at the time of the ending, anyway.
“You’ve got to be always ready, ready to defend yourself at all times,” Chris Weidman told assembled media after his UFC Atlantic City win. “He (Bruno Silva) dropped again. I don’t know – it was like, he was looking for a way out. I don’t know. You can’t just turn your back and fall to the ground every time that your eyeball feels poked.”
Weighing up the option of retiring prior to his return to New Jersey last night, off the back of his victory, former middleweight champion, Weidman has since insisted he has no intentions to hang up his gloves after his win over Silva.
What’s next for Chris Weidman after UFC Atlantic City?
