This past weekend, the GFL had their first draft ahead of their first season that is scheduled to start in April. There were a lot of big names that were drafted throughout the night and there were definitely some surprises. There were former UFC champions but there was one name that really shocked me and that was Chris Weidman (16-8).
Weidman was drafted by Team New York which is led by his longtime coach Ray Longo. Now, Weidman fighting for Longo and fighting for New York is not a surprise. However, what was a surprise is that it seemed like Weidman had retired for good the previous week on the UFC 311 weigh-in show.
Weidman announced that he was hanging up the gloves in the UFC and everyone assumed that he was hanging up his gloves for good. However, Weidman was very careful with his words and if you listen back, the door was definitely left open. That door was open because he was heading to the GFL.
Weidman in the GFL
Weidman joined the GFL draft broadcast and clarified what was going on. “The elephant in the room is I just retired from the UFC. 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.”
Weidman would go on to talk about the fact that he has history with so many fighters that are on the GFL roster. Ultimately, it came down to Weidman not being ready to walk away. “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.”