Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman (16-7) is getting a hometown fight the next time he makes the walk. Iridium Sports Agency announced today that their fighter Eryk “Ya Boi” Anders (16-8, 1 NC) will be taking on the former middleweight champion on November 16th.
While not confirmed, UFC 309 is tentatively penciled in for November 16th and it’s expected to take place at Madison Square Garden. The promotion always has a MSG card in November and Jon Jones – Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title is expected to headline the card. Weidman being on the card makes all the sense in the world given the fact that he’s from New York.
Let’s start with his opponent Eryk Anders. This is a very big spot for Anders and is a special opportunity to fight a former champion in front of his home crowd. After starting his career a perfect 10-0, it’s been a little rough sledding for Anders over the past six years. Anders is 6-8, 1 NC in his last fifteen fights.
That said, he is coming off of a win. He defeated Jamie Pickett at a UFC Fight Night back in March. He’s 2-1 in his last three with the lone loss being a decision loss to Marc-Andre Barriault. That win in March is getting him a spot on one of the biggest cards of the year against a former champion.
UFC 309
In 2015, Chris Weidman was looked at as the second best fighter in the world only behind fellow New Yorker and at the time light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Weidman was the undefeated middleweight champion who had dethroned one of the greatest in UFC history, Anderson Silva.
Then, Weidman lost his title to Luke Rockhold. Starting with the Rockhold fight, Weidman would lose three in a row. He bounced back with a big win over Kelvin Gastelum, but then he got knocked out by Jacare Souza. He moved up to light heavyweight for one fight and was knocked out by Dominick Reyes.
He successfully returned to middleweight and then looked for his second win in a row against Uriah Hall at UFC 261 in 2021. It was the promotion’s first US PPV in front of fans after the start of covid. Weidman had a horrific night shattering his leg in the first 17 seconds of the fight. It took Weidman two and a half years, but he made his return last August.
Weidman lost a tough decision against Brad Tavares and then took on Bruno Silva in Atlantic City back in March. For Weidman, it was a make-or-break fight. Had he lost, he would’ve retired. Weidman looked really solid winning the first two rounds.
After an accidental eye poke in the third round, they went to a technical decision with Weidman scoring the win. Now, the former UFC champion will look for his second straight win which would be the first time he’s won back-to-back fights since he started 13-0.