Chris Weidman Explains Decision to Sign With GFL
By FCF Staff
Following Chris Weidman’s announcement earlier this month that he was ending his run with the UFC, it didn’t take long for the former middleweight champ to find new employment. Weidman has signed up with the Global Fight League, and during the organization’s draft, he discussed why he decided to do so.
The 40-year-old Weidman (16-8) exited the UFC following his stoppage loss to Eryk Anders in December. That defeat was the accomplished wrestler’s third in his last five fights.
When Weidman announced he was hanging up his UFC gloves, he also noted he would be open to new opportunities. More recently, Weidman was drafted by Team New York and his longtime coach, Ray Longo. During the GFL draft broadcast, Weidman had this to say about his decision to sign with the GFL (quotes via MMA Junkie.com).
“The elephant in the room is I just retired from the UFC,” Weidman said. “A lot of people thought I was done fighting. I didn’t know. I thought maybe I am done fighting. I was kind of open to other opportunities outside of the UFC, but it had to be good.
“This is a league where there’s a lot of guys that I have a history with. You’ve got Luke Rockhold, you’ve got Gegard Mousasi, you’ve got Uriah Hall. Rockhold was my first loss ever. That was a tough pill for me to swallow. We were supposed to rematch a bunch of times in UFC, but it never happened. So that would be a fight I’d love to have. Uriah Hall broke my damn leg in my last fight. He was a gentleman about it, but we had fought twice.
“… It’s older dudes that I have a lot of history with. I love to compete and we make a whole lot of money. It’s not something I really feel like I can say no to. It’s really an exciting time for me.”
The GFL’s first season will feature six teams and is set to get underway in April. Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley was picked first overall by Team Dubai.