“That Was a Very Scary Situation”- Chris Weidman Details Near Death Weight Cut Experience
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Former champion Chris Weidman spoke to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani following his recent win at UFC Fight Night on August 8. ‘The All-American’ successfully defeated 11-ranked Middleweight Omari Akhmedov in the co-main event feature of the card. Moreover, he got back to winning ways after a brutal two-fight skid in the organizations.
The former 185-pound king has faced significant adversity in his career as of late, and has struggled to maintain consistency. His recent bouts have ended in a disappointing fashion, leading him back to the drawing board. Additionally, he was in a must-win spot over the surging contender in Akhmedov after going 5-2 in his last 7 fights.
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Chris Weidman recalls fight with Demian Maia
Weidman touched upon another brutal instance in his career that took place back in 2012, in conversation with Helwani. The incident in question was a short notice fight that Chris took against Demian Maia. He recalled the harrowing weight cut going into the fight and provided some insight into the brutal nature of MMA.
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“I picked up the phone call and we asked my manager if there was any way we could do a catchweight and I was waiting to hear back. That weight cut really made me respect weight cutting. It made me realize you could die-cutting weight.”
The fight took place back in January 2012 and was an important step in the former wrestler’s MMA career. A win over Demian Maia would ensure his upward trajectory in the talent stacked Middleweight division.
“Longo was crying”
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“That was a very scary situation, it was my opportunity to face my first top-five opponents in Demian Maia. When they said I couldn’t do catchweight, I was surprised, but they said they would find someone else, so I was like let’s go. The weight cut always sucks, but I was blacking out, I can hardly remember where I was. It was a severe mental struggle, Longo was crying.”
Additionally, Chris Weidman shared a gruesome incident that took place on the weighing scale. The incident defies logic, and it adds to the conversation as to the dangers of weight cutting in combat sports.
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“The static electricity that was going on, I don’t know the science behind that. When I was doing my weight check, the bottom of the towel started coming up into me. They couldn’t keep the towel off me. The static electricity was like attracted to me. I was so dried out, and I could stop blacking out. I was willing to die. It was crazy.”
The MMA community often hears about the brutal nature of extreme weight-cutting in the sport. Hearing a first-hand account of said instances puts into perspective the decisions made by new age fighters. But athletes competing in MMA today forsake an advantage in size, and rather compete at a natural weight.
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