Chris Weidman to Compete for First Time Since Breaking Leg at Polaris 23

Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman is set to make his first combat sports appearance since suffering a nasty leg break in April 2021.

Weidman announced via Instagram that he will face Owen Livesey a grappling match at Polaris 23 on March 11. The event takes place at the Doncaster Dome in Doncaster, England, and airs on UFC Fight Pass.

“Back in the game!” Weidman wrote. “To clarify, this is a grappling match, which I see as good preparation for my next fight. I anticipate being ready in late May/June.”

Weidman hasn’t competed since UFC 261, when he was injured after having a kick checked by Uriah Hall just 17 seconds into their bout. Weidman broke his right fibula and tibia and underwent multiple surgeries to have it repaired.

Weidman is just 2-6 in his last eight UFC bouts dating back to December 2015, when he relinquished the middleweight crown to Luke Rockhold in a fourth-round TKO loss at UFC 194. A former NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at Hofstra, Weidman is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who competed at the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship in 2009 — the same year he made his professional MMA debut.

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