UFC 309 is set to be one of the biggest UFC PPVs of the year. UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones is returning to the Octagon for what could be his last ever UFC fight.
He's fighting for legacy when he faces former champion Stipe Miocic for what could also be his last fight.
The card is full of former champions including Miocic, Charles Oliveira, and Chris Weidman. And it's one of those former title holders to whom we think fans should pay attention.
Weidman was the UFC middleweight champion from July 6, 2013, through Dec. 12, 2016. He was considered at the time as one of the best champions having won by defeating Anderson Silva twice. After his championship stint, he suffered a series of bad luck losses including a brutal leg kick injury during his fight with Uriah Hall in 2021. He remained out of commission for years due to infections and complications with the injury before returning in 2023.
Upon his return, he lost back-to-back fights before winning in March 2024. That win wasn't without controversy though as many fans feel he should have been disqualified for the eye poke that ended the fight.
Now he returns at UFC 309 when he faces Eryk Anders on the preliminary portion of the card. This could be a pivotal moment in Weidman's career. He needs a win badly and needs it to be without controversy or disputed.
A decision might not be enough to win back the favor of the fans who seem to have turned their backs as of late. A loss could see Weidman sent into retirement off a loss and no one wants to see a legend go out like that.
Weidman assured fans he wasn't going to make a quick decision at the moment, but we all know things change with the blink of an eye. “I’m pretty much taking it fight by fight,” Weidman recently told MMAFighting. “I’ll make my decision after the fight. I’m not planning on putting my gloves down or anything like that either win or lose. But I’m planning to just not make any rushed decisions.
The uncertainty of the version of Weidman we might get, coupled with the weight of the outcome of the fight makes Weidman the fighter to watch on Saturday night.
Sign up to a DAZN subscription to watch the very best combat sports
DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 150 fights a year across boxing, bare knuckle boxing, MMA and crossover boxing.
DAZN's Black Friday offer gives fight fans huge savings to watch the most exciting fight nights for even cheaper.
A limited time offer, UK viewers get up to 33% off their subscription, while US customers get up to 50%, whether signing up for the first time or renewing a lapsed account.
For an annual subscription, that is now only £89.99, reduced from £119.99, in the UK, and $112.50 down from $224.99 in the US.
Signing up before November 29, with both annual and monthly options, will get you a VIP seat to the biggest fights still to come this year and into 2025.
Sign up here for a DAZN subscription