Former UFC middleweight king Chris Weidman says his days at 185 pounds are behind him.
The Long Island native confirmed his move up to light heavyweight at a media scrum at UFC 238.
“I’ve had back-to-back surgeries, coming off a loss…my weight’s going kind of high,” Weidman said. [H/T Sherdog]
“I’ve accomplished goals at [185], I’ve had that belt wrapped around me four different times. I really wanted to get it back. I’m not saying the door is completely shut on that idea. I’m not saying I can’t get down to 185, but the weight cuts are tough.”
“I want to see what my body is like without depleting it. I won’t be the biggest 205 pounder that’s for sure. But I don’t think I’ll be the smallest. I think I’ll bring things to the table that will be an issue for a lot of those guys.”
Weidman boasted a perfect 13-0 record until Luke Rockhold dethroned him at UFC 194 towards the end of 2015. Similarly, Rockhold has also said he will be fighting at light heavyweight for the foreseeable future.
Since that Rockhold loss, Weidman has posted one win in four against some of middleweight MMA’s biggest names, losing out to Yoel Romero, Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza.
However, Weidman’s second-to-last fight saw him handily defeat recent UFC title challenger Kelvin Gastelum in convincing fashion.
Weidman has struggled with injuries in recent years, only fighting four times since December 2015, and he will hope a move up in weight can reinvigorate his career.
