JitsCast #29 features former UFC middleweight world champion Chris Weidman ahead of his latest submission grappling match. Weidman enjoyed a lengthy career at the very top of the MMA world, but he is also a veteran grappling competitor too. Weidman was a wrestler first and after becoming a two-time NCAA Division I All-American, he tried his hand at no gi Jiu-Jitsu with huge success. Not only did he win one of the earliest editions of ADCC Trials but he also had an impressive run at ADCC 2009 immediately afterward. He had already begun his professional MMA career at this point, but it really took off in the years to come.
Weidman joined the UFC back in 2011 when he was just 4-0 as a professional fighter and his rise through the middleweight division was meteoric from that point. He won his first five fights in a row and earned a shot at the reigning champion, the legendary Anderson Silva. Weidman became the man to dethrone Silva and ended up defending the title three times after that, continuing with the promotion right up until he left in 2024 with a 16-8 professional record. Weidman spoke about his early experiences with Jiu-Jitsu after he left wrestling behind and why he never returned to ADCC despite having a great performance on his first attempt.
Weidman also lifted the lid on his recent dealings Global Fight League, the new MMA promotion that announced his next fight but ended up scrapping their entire event. He also talked about his upcoming grappling match with elite wrestler Pat Downey at Fury Pro Grappling 13. It’s one of the biggest matches on the card and it will be the first time that fans get to see Weidman in action this year. Weidman let us in on how he plans on approaching the match and even shared some of his plans for the future as well, across submission grappling and other sports like boxing too.
JitsCast #29 with Chris Weidman is now available to watch on the official JitsMagazine YouTube channel, click here to subscribe for more or check out the interview below:
