Chris Weidman is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
mixed martial artist and former
collegiate wrestlerCollegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
. He is currently signed as a
MiddleweightThe middleweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*UFC's & Strikeforce's middleweight division, which groups competitors within 171 to 185 lb...
with the
UFCThe Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
. Weidman attended Baldwin high school on
Long IslandLong Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
where he was a
Nassau CountyNassau County is a suburban county on Long Island, east of New York City in the U.S. state of New York, within the New York Metropolitan Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 1,339,532...
and New York State wrestling Champion. Collegiately, Weidman earned
All-AmericaAn All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n wrestling honors at
NCCNassau Community College is a two-year college. It is located in East Garden City, New York, USA. The school is in Nassau County on Long Island. NCC maintains a nationwide reputation for academic excellence and ease of transferability to four-year institutions.- History :Created as part of the...
before transferring to
HofstraHofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
where he became a Two-Time Division I All-American, placing 3rd at the
NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
tournament his senior year. Weidman graduated from Hofstra with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology.
Mixed martial arts career
Weidman trains and competes as part of the Serra-Longo Fight Team under the tutelage of Ray Longo and
Matt SerraMatthew John Serra is an American mixed martial artist and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt. He is a former UFC Welterweight Champion and an ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship silver medalist. He began practicing martial arts at an early age, first studying kung fu...
; Weidman currently competes in the middleweight division. In just his 3rd fight, Weidman fought a highly touted Uriah Hall for the
Ring of CombatRing of Combat is a US-based Mixed Martial Arts organization based in Atlantic City, NJ.. Several Ring of Combat events have aired on HDNet Fights, including ROC XVIII and ROC XXI.- History :...
middleweight title in what was billed as a striker vs wrestler matchup; Weidman showed his striking prowess by knocking Hall out in dramatic fashion. Weidman qualified for and competed at the 2009
ADCC Submission Wrestling World ChampionshipThe ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship is a competition involving professional athletes who have been successful at the highest levels of jiu-jitsu, wrestling, judo, sambo, shooto and mixed martial arts...
(with just 1 year of formal
Jiu-JitsuBrazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial art, combat sport, and a self defense system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting...
training) in Barcelona where he lost to world renowned Jiu-Jitsu practitioner
André GalvãoAndré Luis Galvão is a Brazilian grappler and professional mixed martial artist. He has won the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship and IBJJF Pan American Championships multiple times and has also taken third place in the 2007 ADCC World Championship at both -77 kg and openweight...
in a very close match. As of 2010, multiple MMA ranking panels had Weidman ranked as high as the #1 ranked prospect in the world at 185 lbs. Weidman was also listed as the number one prospect in all of MMA in the 2011 Top 50 Prospects piece put out by MMARanked.com
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Weidman made his UFC debut against
Alessio SakaraAlessio Sakara is an Italian mixed martial artist and boxer, who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's Middleweight Division. Sakara is also a Former World Junior Boxing Contender. He holds notable wins over Elvis Sinosic, Thales Leites, James Irvin.-Background:Sakara was born...
on March 3, 2011, at
UFC Live: Sanchez vs. KampmannUFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 3, 2011, at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The event was broadcast on Versus in the U.S. and Rogers Sportsnet One in Canada...
, replacing an injured
Rafael NatalNot to be confused with Rafael NadalRafael Natal is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division...
. Weidman, who took the fight on two weeks' notice, won a unanimous decision, scoring a decisive 30–27 on all three judges' scorecards.
Weidman faced
Jesse BongfeldtJesse Bongfeldt is a Canadian professional mixed martial arts fighter. He is a middleweight, and has fought for such organizations as the Ultimate Fighting Championships.-Early Career:...
on June 11, 2011 at
UFC 131UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...
, replacing an injured
Court McGeeCourtney Scott McGee is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the middleweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2007, McGee mostly fought in local promotions in Utah before signing with the UFC....
. Weidman defeated Bongfeldt via first round standing guillotine choke, earning
Submission of the Night honors.
Weidman next faced
Tom LawlorThomas Joseph "Tom" Lawlor is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.-Mixed martial arts:...
on November 19, 2011 at
UFC 139UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 19, 2011 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, USA...
. He won the fight via submission in the first round.
Collegiate wrestlingCollegiate wrestling, sometimes known in the United States as Folkstyle wrestling, is a style of amateur wrestling practised at the collegiate and university level in the United States. Collegiate wrestling emerged from the folk wrestling styles practised in the early history of the United States...
- National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
- NCAA Division I 197 lb - 6th place out of Hofstra University
Hofstra University is a private, nonsectarian institution of higher learning located in the Village of Hempstead, New York, United States, about east of New York City: less than an hour away by train or car...
(2006)
- NCAA Division I 197 lb - 3rd place out of Hofstra University (2007)
- Two-time All-American Division I NCAA wrestler
- National Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association , founded in 1938, is an association of community college and junior college athletic departments throughout the United States. It is held as Divisions and Regions. The current NJCAA holds 24 separate regions.-History:The idea for the NJCAA was...
- Two-time All-American NJCAA wrestler
Mixed martial artsMixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
- Submission of the Night (One time)
- Ring of Combat
Ring of Combat is a US-based Mixed Martial Arts organization based in Atlantic City, NJ.. Several Ring of Combat events have aired on HDNet Fights, including ROC XVIII and ROC XXI.- History :...
- Ring of Combat Middleweight Championship (One time)
Mixed martial arts record
|-
| Win
|align=center| 7–0
|
Tom LawlorThomas Joseph "Tom" Lawlor is an American mixed martial artist. He was a cast member of SpikeTV's The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mir.-Mixed martial arts:...
| Technical Submission (d'arce choke)
|
UFC 139UFC 139: Shogun vs. Henderson was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 19, 2011 at the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California, USA...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:07
|
San Jose, California, USASan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 6–0
|
Jesse BongfeldtJesse Bongfeldt is a Canadian professional mixed martial arts fighter. He is a middleweight, and has fought for such organizations as the Ultimate Fighting Championships.-Early Career:...
| Submission (guillotine choke)
|
UFC 131UFC 131: Dos Santos vs. Carwin was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on June 11, 2011 at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Background:...
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 4:54
|Vancouver, British Columbia,
CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 5–0
|
Alessio SakaraAlessio Sakara is an Italian mixed martial artist and boxer, who currently competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship's Middleweight Division. Sakara is also a Former World Junior Boxing Contender. He holds notable wins over Elvis Sinosic, Thales Leites, James Irvin.-Background:Sakara was born...
| Decision (unanimous)
|
UFC Live: Sanchez vs. KampmannUFC Live: Sanchez vs. Kampmann was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on March 3, 2011, at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. The event was broadcast on Versus in the U.S. and Rogers Sportsnet One in Canada...
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|
Louisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 4–0
|
Valdir Araujo
| Decision (unanimous)
| Ring of Combat 33
|
|align=center| 3
|align=center| 5:00
|
Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 3–0
|
Uriah Hall
| TKO (punches)
| Ring of Combat 31
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 3:06
|
Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
Won ROC Middleweight Title
|-
| Win
|align=center| 2–0
|
Mike Stewart
| TKO (punches)
| Ring of Combat 24
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 2:38
|
Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
|-
| Win
|align=center| 1–0
|
Ruben Lopez
| Submission (kimura)
| Ring of Combat 23
|
|align=center| 1
|align=center| 1:35
|
Atlantic City, New JerseyAtlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
|
External links