UFC today, at UFC 328, announced that former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’s ‘Modern Wing’ as a member of the Class of 2026. The 2026 UFC Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place on Thursday, July 9, as part of the 14th Annual UFC International Fight Week.
“Chris Weidman is one of the greatest middleweights in UFC history,” said UFC President & CEO Dana White. “Chris consistently competed against the best athletes in the world during his career, and his victories over Anderson Silva changed the landscape of the middleweight division forever. It will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”
Weidman will enter the UFC Hall of Fame as the 19th member of the Modern Wing. The Modern Era category includes athletes who turned pro on or after November 17, 2000, when the first UFC event under the unified rules of MMA was held. Other requirements include a minimum age of 35 or those who have been retired for one year or more.A veteran of 24 fights during his 15-year MMA career, Weidman registered a 16-8 (12-8, UFC), record, securing victories over UFC Hall of Famers Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort and Kelvin Gastelum (Fight Wing), as well as former UFC light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida.
Weidman made his professional MMA debut on February 20, 2009, winning each of his first four fights in Ring of Combat before signing with UFC.
Weidman made his UFC debut on the main card of UFC LIVE: SANCHEZ vs. KAMPMANN, which took place on March 3, 2011, at KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. He would defeat his opponent, Alessio Sakara, via unanimous decision to launch his career inside the Octagon.
Weidman would win his next four fights to earn a title shot against then-middleweight champion Anderson Silva at UFC 162.
UFC® 162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN took place on July 6, 2013, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Both Silva and Weidman entered the match on impressive winning streaks of 17 and 9, respectively. Having won 16 fights with UFC and 10 title defenses, Silva was aiming to secure a new record of most consecutive title defenses with a victory over Weidman.
Weidman took control of the first round early with a takedown 30 seconds into the match with Silva countering from his back. Weidman continued landing shots from top position, but Silva reversed his heel hook position with two minutes remaining. Weidman and Silva would trade punches in the center of the Octagon for the remainder of the round, with Silva taunting Weidman with his hands on his hips to excite the crowd.
Silva continued to taunt Weidman at the beginning of the second round, evading his punches and takedown attempts. With 3:46 remaining Weidman threw a flurry of punches, connecting on a left hook that knocked out Silva and ended the fight.
Weidman’s KO victory over Silva is widely regarded as one of the biggest upsets in combat sports history as Silva, then the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, was as one of MMA’s biggest stars.
Weidman and Silva would meet five months later for a rematch at UFC® 168: WEIDMAN vs. SILVA 2, which took place on December 28, 2013, at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Weidman would win the rematch and defend the middleweight title after Silva broke his leg landing a kick to Weidman’s shin.
Weidman would defend the middleweight title by winning his next two fights over Machida and Belfort, before losing his first fight to former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold in the co-main event of UFC 194 on December 12, 2015.
Over the next eight years, Weidman would compete in 11 more bouts against the top ranked middleweights in the world, before retiring in December 2024 after a loss to Eryk Anders at UFC 310.
Outside the Octagon, Weidman has been honored with numerous awards throughout his career, receiving Breakthrough Fighter of the Year in 2012 by the Fighters Only World MMA Awards and Fighter of the Year in 2013 by Yahoo! Sports, MMA Junkie and the Fighters Only World MMA Awards.
A native of Baldwin, New York, Weidman began wrestling at a young age and became a New York state wrestling champion while attending Baldwin Senior High School. Following high school, Weidman earned NJCAA All-America honors at Nassau Community College in 2004 and 2005, before transferring to Hofstra. At Hofstra, he continued to thrive, becoming a two-time NCAA All-American in 2006 and 2007. Weidman currently serves as an analyst / commentator for UFC events broadcast on Paramount+.
