Chris Weidman didn’t tell anyone that retirement was on his mind ahead of his fight with Bruno Silva at UFC Atlantic City.
Despite previously stating that his ability to get through a training camp without any serious injuries or severe pain would determine his future, the former UFC middleweight champion admits that wasn’t actually the case. Instead, Weidman confessed on The MMA Hour that his performance against Silva ultimately decided whether he would continue fighting or not.
“I probably would have retired if I didn’t perform out there,” Weidman said. “If [Silva] came at me and beat the crap out of me, I think I was going to put my gloves down. I didn’t really even tell my wife or anybody that, but in the back of my head, I was [ready to retire].”
Looking back at his camp, Weidman couldn’t have imagined a better lead-up to get ready for a fight. Unlike his initial return from a broken leg this past August, Weidman felt better than ever this time around, but that didn’t mean it would all translate into the fight.
That’s why Weidman kept thoughts about retirement to himself. He knew the people around him all saw how much he improved between fights, but the outcome still mattered most.
“All my training partners, my coaches, everybody, they think I’m better than ever,” Weidman said. “They can’t believe how good I am. They think I’ve become one of the best guys in the world again, but in my head, I’m like, I’ve done everything already and I know my potential. I know what they see. I know I could be in there with anybody.
“But if I’m not able to put it together in the UFC, in the cage in front of everybody, I’m not going to do it anymore. So if I didn’t perform well, I think I was done.”
Chris Weidman likely would’ve retired with Bruno Silva loss: ‘I was going to put my gloves down’ - MMA Fighting
