UFC 292: LI's Chris Weidman set to return to the octagon more than two years after gruesome injury

Chris Weidman fancies himself a fear-facer.

That characteristic led the Baldwin-raised Weidman to the height of his craft — the UFC middleweight championship after a surprising knockout of Anderson Silva, a man mentioned near the top of the short list of greatest mixed martial artists in the sport’s 30-year history.

That same trait also guides him into Boston for UFC 292 next Saturday (Aug. 19) at TD Garden, more than two years since the lowest point in his career landed him on another short list — most devastating injuries in the sport’s 30-year history.

“If I'm afraid of something, I'm probably going to do it,” Weidman told Newsday after a recent sparring session at LAW MMA in Garden City. “And so I'm a little crazy. Is it the smartest? Maybe not. But it's the way I like to grow, by conquering my fears. I’ll kick right away.”

Waiting to receive that first kick from the surgically rebuilt (and rebuilt and repaired again) right leg will be Brad Tavares. Waiting to exhale from that first kick will be family and friends, broadcasters and fight fans, and Serra-Longo teammates there to also support bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling in the main event.

Yes, Weidman has watched the replay of “the kick” from April 24, 2021 at UFC 261 in Jacksonville, Florida. How his lower left right leg connected on Uriah Hall’s calf. How it crumbled like air let out of a balloon. How the pool noodle of what seconds earlier was a solid tibia and fibula unwrapped itself from Hall’s calf. How when he put it down on the mat behind him, it collapsed his 200-pound body. How that sent the bone ripping through first his calf muscle and then his skin.

“Intentionally at first, I would watch it all the time,” Weidman said. “Just because I knew I was going to be tagged in it for the rest of my life. I don't want to run from it. Like I said, I try face my fears. I don't want to be looking the other way any time I go on my phone. I want to have freedom. Look, I still get tagged in Anderson Silva’s broken leg [video] all the time. So I knew if I got tagged in those, I’m sure I’m going to be getting tagged in my own broken leg video.”

Weidman (15-6) has been involved in two of the four times a fighter shattered his leg kicking during a UFC fight. Silva did the same thing when Weidman checked his kick in their rematch at UFC 168 on Dec. 28, 2013.

“I don't enjoy looking at it ever. I don't enjoy looking at anybody's leg breaking in half,” Weidman said. “When you see what happens to my leg versus his, my leg is worse to look at with the angle now I've seen where you see the bones coming out of the skin and the blood and all that. It's kind of nastier. But both make me feel bad for the guy.”

Silva returned to fighting 13 months later. Weidman has waited more two years. Multiple surgeries since the initial operation set him back. He did compete in a submission grappling event in London last March, though.

"I knew it from Day One," trainer Ray Longo said of Weidman returning to fight at some point. "He's different. But I thought he'd get here. What was going to stop him?

"He wants to prove it to himself. I'm sure he wants to set an example for his kids. He's that guy. I think he's always been that guy."

All the leg injury stuff is in the past now. Until this week, of course, as Weidman, 39, heads to Boston for fight week. He'll do a few dozen interviews. The questions all will be relatively similar. They’ll focus on the leg, the two-plus years between that night and this night, the hurdles along the way, the spirit to push through all of that and return to the place of his finest athletic achievements — the octagon.

Arriving at UFC 292 as a competitor rather than a show host or guest fighter for sponsor appearances is the first of what Weidman hopes is two victories this weekend. The second being a victory over Tavares (19-8), a 35-year-old Hawaiian who has fought some of the biggest names in the division already.

“It's amazing what I've been able to get through, and I have to be proud of myself and be grateful that I have the opportunity to do it,” Weidman said. “Because there were moments in there I wasn't sure what was going to happen. So I'm just grateful to be able to have that opportunity to go back out there and do what I love to do. I really do love to fight game. I love everything that comes with it, the anxiety and the fear. It’s not comfortable to do it, so I want to do it because I know a lot of other people wouldn't do it. And I happen to be really good at it."

By Mark La Monica

mark.lamonica@newsday.comLaMonicaMark

Mark La Monica is a deputy sports editor at Newsday. He also covers mixed martial arts.