Tag: Chris Weidman

UFC on ESPN 54 play-by-play, live results

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 54 in Atlantic City.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – UFC on ESPN 54 took place Saturday, and MMA Junkie live play-by-play and official results. UFC on ESPN 54 (ESPN/ESPN+) took place at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J.

In the main event, Erin Blanchfield (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) took on Manon Fiorot (12-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) in a likely women’s flyweight title eliminator. Joaquin Buckley (18-6 MMA, 8-4 UFC) took on Vicente Luque (22-10-1 MMA, 15-6 UFC) in the welterweight co-feature, and former middleweight champion Chris Weidman (16-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) returned against Bruno Silva (23-11 MMA, 4-5 UFC).

Below, you can check out the results and play-by-play from UFC on ESPN 54.

UFC on ESPN 54 results: Chris Weidman’s TKO flipped to decision win after eye pokes add controversy vs. Bruno Silva

Chris Weidman got his first win since 2020 at UFC on ESPN 54, but it was loaded with controversy after multiple eye pokes on Bruno Silva.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] proved he’s still capable of winning fights on Saturday when he emerged from the UFC on ESPN 54 featured bout against [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] with his hand raised – despite some controversy.

Former UFC champ Weidman (16-7 MMA, 12-7 UFC) experienced victory for the first time since prior to snapping his leg in devastating fashion at UFC 261 in April 2021 when he earned a unanimous decision over Silva (23-11 MMA, 4-5 UFC) in their middleweight matchup at Boardwalk Hall.

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It was a somewhat heated ending, with eye pokes happening throughout the bout and in the final sequence. It originally was ruled a third-round TKO, but after official review, the final eye poke was deemed unintentional and the fight was changed to a technical decision in which Weidman won unanimous scorecards by 30-27, 30-27 and 30-27.

“I got poked in the eye, too, but my advice to Bruno, much respect to him: It looked like I touches his eyeball when he was coming in – you can’t drop to the ground like that if your eye gets poked,” Weidman said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. “You’ve got to stand, if the ref sees it – you can’t just drop. He did that like three times and it caught up to him.”

Weidman came out with early pressure and forced Silva to the back foot. That allowed him to push the action to the cage, where he spent the majority of the round holding his opponent against the fence and peppering with knees to various parts of the body.

In the second round, much of the action played out on the feet. Weidman attacked the body heavy with kicks, while Silva blitzed with combinations when he found moments. An eye poke briefly halted the action midway through the round, but it resumed and Silva closed out the round with solid strikes that busted the eye of Weidman, who rallied late.

The pace somewhat slowed in the third round, then the controversial end when what appeared to be a double eye poke stopped the action. The fight resumed, then minutes later Weidman hit Silva in a sequence that dropped him to the canvas holding his eye. The replay showed Weidman poked Silva in the eye multiple times. Nevertheless, he was awarded the win.

Weidman, 39, entered the event with four losses in his past five fights dating back to November 2018. He said prior to UFC on ESPN 54 that he considered making the fight with Silva his retirement bout, but ultimately wanted to gauge things based on his performance after a productive training camp.

During his post-fight interview with Bisping, the former 185-pound titleholder declared he’s not hanging up the gloves.

“I just got done beating a guy who beat a lot of good fighters,” Weidman said. “He went toe-to-toe with Alex Pereira, very close fight – go back and watch that one. This dude’s tough as hell. This dude’s good. I’m still getting my legs underneath me and I felt so much better than I did my last fight. I’m still progressing and getting better. You can do anything you want to. F everybody who doesn’t believe in you.”

With the loss, Silva, 34, sees his downward spiral continue. He’s now 1-5 in his past five fights dating back to March 2022, with his current three-fight losing skid marking the longest of his career.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 54 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Chris Weidman def. Bruno Silva at UFC on ESPN 54: Best photos

Check out the best photos from Chris Weidman’s technical decision win over Bruno Silva at UFC on ESPN 54.

Check out the best photos from [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag]’s technical decision win over [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN 54 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J. (Fight and venue photos by Ed Mulholland, USA Today Sports)

UFC on ESPN 54: Chris Weidman vs. Bruno Silva odds, picks and predictions

Analyzing Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 54 odds between Chris Weidman vs. Bruno Silva, with MMA picks and predictions.

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In a 3-round middleweight bout on the main card, Chris Weidman and Bruno Silva meet Saturday at UFC on ESPN 54 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the UFC on ESPN 54: Weidman vs. Silva odds, and make our expert picks and predictions.

The prelims begin at 7 p.m. ET, and can be viewed on ESPN2/ESPN+, while the main card starts at 10 p.m. ET, also on ESPN/ESPN+.

Records: Weidman (15-7-0) | Silva (23-10-0)

The veteran Weidman has lost 7 of the past 9 fights since Dec. 12, 2015, including a unanimous-decision loss at UFC 292 last time out against Brad Tavares in mid-August. He has been knocked out 3 times in the past 5 outings, and his only victory in the 5-bout span is a unanimous-decision win over Omari Akhmedov in Aug. 2020.

Silv has lost back-to-back fights, too, while dropping 4 of the past 5 outings. However, looking at common opponents, he topped Tavares in a 1st-round KO/TKO last April for his only win in the 5-bout span.

Silva holds a 4.43-to-2.98 significant strikes landed per minute, and he is much more accurate on those strikes at 58.45%, while the veteran Weidman is just 51.85%. Weidman is 5 years older than Silva, while holding a 4-inch reach advantage.

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UFC on ESPN 54: Weidman vs. Silva

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:45 p.m. ET.

  • Fight result (2-way line): Weidman +160 (bet $100 to win $160) | Silva -200 (bet $200 to win $100)
  • Over/Under: 1.5 rounds (Over -130 | Under +100)
  • Will the fight go the distance? (Yes +180 | No -250)

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UFC on ESPN 54: Weidman vs. Silva picks and predictions

Fight result (2-way line or moneyline)

Silva (-200) is a little on the pricey side, costing you 2 times your potential return. Neither of these fighters has been particularly hot lately, so that’s quite a bit to risk.

While Weidman (+165) has looked like a shell of his former self, he holds a 4-inch reach advantage, and he should be able to keep Silva at a distance. Getting more specific, taking SILVA BY KO/TKO, DQ OR SUBMISSION (-115) is much more price friendly, and it’s a winning bet as long as Silva doesn’t win on points, or obviously if Weidman scores the upset.

Over/Under (O/U)

OVER 1.5 ROUNDS (-130) is a good bet, as Weidman should be able to hold off Silva until at least the middle of Round 2. That reach advantage shouldn’t be discounted, as he will be able to pull Silva in and out at his discretion.

No (-250): Will the fight go the distance? is a little on the pricey side, costing 2½ times your potential return. While it’s likely we get a finish, nothing has been guaranteed with these fighters lately. Weidman has ended up going the distance in 2 of the past 3 bouts while getting knocked out in 17 seconds at UFC 261 in between those decisions. Silva went the distance last time out, but had two Round 1 endings prior to that.

Visit MMA Junkie for more fight news and analysis.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and us on Facebook.

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UFC on ESPN 54 full card faceoff highlights from Atlantic City

The 28 UFC fighters competing in Atlantic City on Saturday came face-to-face for the final time pre-fight.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – The competitors lined up to fight at UFC on ESPN 54 came face-to-face for the final time at Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins at Boardwalk Hall, the same venue that hosts Saturday’s event.

Among those faced off were headliners [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC), co-headliners [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC), and middleweights [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) and [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC).

MMA Junkie was onsite for Friday’s ceremonial weigh-in and faceoffs. Check out full video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

UFC on ESPN 54 official weigh-in results: Fighter somehow gains weight between attempts, misses mark

The UFC on ESPN 54 weigh-ins ended oddly as Julio Arce somehow gained 0.25 pounds between attempts and his team was scratching their heads.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Ahead of Saturday’s fights at Boardwalk Hall, the 28 fighters involved in UFC on ESPN 54 hit the scales at the host hotel. One missed weight.

Atop the event, which airs on ESPN/ESPN+, is a pivotal women’s flyweight main event between top contenders [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] (12-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) and [autotag]Manon Fiorot[/autotag] (11-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC).

In the co-main event, welterweight standouts [autotag]Vicente Luque[/autotag] (22-9-1 MMA, 15-5 UFC) and [autotag]Joaquin Buckley[/autotag] (17-6 MMA, 7-4 UFC) collide. Also on the card, former UFC middleweight champion [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) attempts to reenter the win column against [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC).

All of those fighters made weight, but one from the prelims. [autotag]Julio Arce[/autotag] missed the featherweight limit after previously missing at bantamweight in April 2022. He was given two attempts and gained 0.25 pounds between attempts.

Arce’s re-weigh was the last weigh-in of the day. A different New Jersey State Athletic Commission (NJSAC) representative than who weighed in the other 27 fighters and Arce’s first attempt, weighed in Arce the second time. This caused further frustration and disbelief from Arce’s team, who said they had weighed 146 on their own scale. Arce was fined 20 percent of his purse and the fight will continue as scheduled.

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Check out the full UFC on ESPN 54 weigh-ins results below:

MAIN CARD (ESPN, 10 p.m. ET)

  • Erin Blanchfield (125) vs. Manon Fiorot (125.25)
  • Joaquin Buckley (170) vs. Vicente Luque (170)
  • Bruno Silva (186) vs. Chris Weidman (186)
  • Sedriques Dumas (185) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (185)
  • Bill Algeo (146) vs. Kyle Nelson (145)
  • Rhys McKee (170.25) vs. Chidi Njokuani (170)

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)

  • Nate Landwehr (145.25) vs. Jamall Emmers (145)
  • Loopy Godinez (115) vs. Virna Jandiroba (115)
  • Julio Arce (147)* vs. Herbert Burns (145)
  • Dennis Buzukja (145.25) vs. Connor Matthews (145)
  • Ibo Aslan (205) vs. Anton Turkalj (205)
  • Viktoriia Dudakova (125) vs. Melissa Gatto (125)
  • Jacob Malkoun (185) vs. Andre Petroski (186)
  • Caolan Loughran (135) vs. Angel Pacheco (135)

* Arce missed featherweight limit by 1 pound; 20 percent fine

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Ex-UFC champ Chris Weidman contemplated retirement, but still has ‘more to offer’

Ahead of his return at UFC on ESPN 54, Chris Weidman admits he thought about retirement, but ultimately decided to keep fighting.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – Many people thought [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] was done after his last fight, but the former UFC champion is back in action and believes there’s more to come from his MMA career.

This Saturday, Weidman (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) returns to the octagon against Bruno Silva (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC) on the main card of UFC on ESPN 54, which takes place at Boardwalk Hall. The 39-year-old is still searching for his first win since suffering his nasty leg break in 2021. Weidman made a return from injury last August and was defeated by Brad Tavares in a unanimous decision.

After the loss to Tavares, Weidman considered retiring amid criticism surrounding the state of his career and his 2-7 record in his last nine fights.

“I feel motivated,” Weidman told reporters at the UFC on ESPN 54 media day on Wednesday. “During this training camp, I was very open-minded to read myself and see how I feel physically and also mentally. Are there things I still have to offer? Am I as good as I once was? Can I still evolve? And as camp evolved, I still think skillset-wise, I’m still better than ever.

“If you take one skill at a time, I don’t think there’s anyone in the UFC in any division that has the skills in the standup, wrestling and jiu-jitsu that I have. If you put it all together and average together, I think I’d be right at the top of the list. So I have to put it together and perform in the cage, but during the camp I was looking world-class.”

Weidman won and defended the UFC middleweight title from 2013 to 2015. He’s defeated many MMA greats such as Anderson Silva, Vitor Belfort, Lyoto Machida, and Demian Maia.

Although he’s achieved plenty already, Weidman is confident that he’s not only game to fight this Saturday, but also to keep adding to his legacy beyond that.

“I’m very grateful for the career I have and everything I’ve accomplished, but that doesn’t give me complacency,” Weidman said. “I still have more to offer and more to show. I get to show it in the gym and people talk, ‘Oh my God. You’re good.’ But you have to go out there and do it under the lights and showcase that.

“I feel great, everything is amazing. The weight cut is great, the body feels amazing, better than it has in years, so let’s see what I got. I think I can surprise people. And if I can’t, we’ll take it from there. Maybe I’m not performing the way I feel I could and I’ll re-write my story from there. But as of now, I’m optimistic about the future.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

Bruno Silva recalls working as a bouncer when UFC on ESPN 54 foe Chris Weidman KO’d Anderson Silva

Bruno Silva still has vivid memories from the night UFC on ESPN 54 opponent Chris Weidman scored an all-time UFC upset vs. Anderson Silva.

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – [autotag]Bruno Silva[/autotag] still has vivid memories from the night [autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] scored one of the biggest upsets in UFC history.

Nearly 11 years after Weidman ended the longest winning streak in octagon history with a second-round knockout of Anderson Silva at UFC 162 in July 2013, Bruno Silva (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC) is now set to take on Weidman (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 54 featured bout at Boardwalk Hall (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN+).

The matchup is a dream come true as Weidman is a fighter who once felt so far away in terms of career accomplishment.

“In July of 2013 – that’s when Weidman fought Anderson for the first time – when he knocked him out, I was still living in Northern Brazil,” Silva told MMA Junkie through an interpreter at Wednesday’s media day. “I was working as a security guard. I fought in a grand prix that night in a tournament. I had two fights that night, and I knocked out both guys. Then I rushed him to watch the Anderson Silva fight and we all saw what happened. Eleven years later, here I am fighting that guy in a big arena in the United States, in his region. That gives you an idea.

“It’s the biggest fight of my career. I’m fighting a guy who is a former champion, a legend. It’s an honor. I’m really blessed. It’s really an honor.”

Silva has been watching Weidman since that night he first captured gold. It’s been a rollercoaster of a ride, with Weidman losing the belt, going through a tumultuous losing skid and suffering one of the nastiest leg breaks in MMA history in April 2021.

UFC on ESPN 54 will represent Weidman’s second fight since returning from the gruesome broken leg. He dropped a unanimous decision to Brad Tavares at UFC 292 in August, and UFC CEO Dana White subsequently begged him to retire.

Weidman, 39, opted against that request, however, and returns this weekend in what could be a do-or-die showdown with Silva, 34. It’s hard to gauge where the former champion is truly at, but Silva is taking him seriously.

“MMA is a sport where everyone goes through highs and lows,” Silva said. “It’s very few guys who don’t go through that. I’m more cautious of an experienced guy than a new guy, and I’m sure he has all his weapons and all that. But I’m going in there to fight Chris Weidman and to knock him out.”

As much pressure as there appears to be on Weidman, it’s an important moment for Silva, too. “Blindado” enters the event on a two-fight losing skid and is 1-4 in his past five fights overall dating back to March 2022.

“I’m not looking at it with a sense of urgency like my contract is depending on this or that I’m on the cutting board for this fight,” Silva said. “But I think a knockout over Chris Weidman is going to say a lot more than a knockout over anyone else. So that’s what I’m looking at right now. It’s a guy that I’ve always wanted to fight regardless of what event it would’ve been in. That’s kind of how I’m looking at it. It’s a fight that I want and want to win by knockout.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 54.

UFC 297 commentary team, broadcast plans set: Dominick Cruz returns to PPV in place of Joe Rogan

Joe Rogan will not be part of UFC 297, with Dominick Cruz replacing him alongside Daniel Cormier and Jon Anik at in Toronto.

The first numbered UFC event of 2024 is rapidly approaching with UFC 297 on Saturday at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.

As always, some marquee on-air talent will be there to help guide viewers through the experience.

Details of who will be working as commentators and analysts for the show have been acquired by MMA Junkie through a person with knowledge of the plans – and you can see the scheduled broadcast team below.

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Chris Weidman says Bruno Silva could be his last fight, will depend on how body feels

Chris Weidman isn’t quite ready to call it a career just yet.

[autotag]Chris Weidman[/autotag] isn’t quite ready to call it a career just yet.

Weidman (15-7 MMA, 11-7 UFC) is expected to meet Bruno Silva (23-10 MMA, 4-4 UFC) March 30 at UFC Fight Night in Atlantic City, N.J. Weidman’s return will come just over seven months after suffering a fractured left leg in a decision loss to Brad Tavares at UFC 292.

Although Weidman has had do undergo multiple surgeries to repair his broken right leg, the former UFC middleweight champion is confident he still has the skills to hang with the best. How long he keeps fighting will depend on how he physically feels.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure either,” Weidman told Daniel Cormier on his fighting future. “I’m setting myself up for the future, and I wasn’t sure. I was kind of listening to my body, just trying to get healthy. Mentally and motivational-wise, and technique-wise, I still think I’m top of the world – but my body’s just taking a beating.

“This could be my last fight. I’m going to kind of make that decision throughout the training camp and see how I feel. If my body can handle a hard training camp again – and it might be the last one, it might not be.”

Weidman couldn’t pass up the opportunity to fight close to home. Atlantic City marks a very familiar place for him.

“The reason why I even took this fight pretty quickly, it didn’t even matter who it was because it was offered in Atlantic City,” Weidman said. “That’s where I started my career, was Atlantic City because at the time, MMA wasn’t legal in New York.

“The New York guys had to fight in Ring of Combat in Atlantic City, N.J. I just think it would be pretty cool to go back there where it all started and see how I feel. Obviously, it’s a good payday, see how my body feels and we’ll go from there.”

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