Chris Weidman
Active 2011–present · rated in 4 editions · peak overall 90.0
Scouting report
Chris "The All-American" Weidman knocked out Anderson Silva at UFC 162 in July 2013 to capture the Undisputed UFC Middleweight Championship, ending Silva's reign atop the division. Born in Baldwin, New York, the two-time NCAA Division I All-American defended the belt three times, against Silva, Lyoto Machida, and Vitor Belfort, backed by a 93 Wrestling, 87 BJJ, and 90 Overall rating.
Peak ratings
By edition
Weidman finished Silva with a left hook in round two, then defended the belt in their December UFC 168 rematch after earlier wins over Demian Maia and Mark Munoz. His NCAA Division I wrestling pedigree, submission transitions, and power hooks are reflected in a 91 Wrestling and 84 Boxing.
Weidman defended the crown across 2014 and 2015, outpointing Lyoto Machida over five rounds at UFC 175 in Las Vegas and stopping Vitor Belfort with first-round ground-and-pound at UFC 187, before dropping the belt to Luke Rockhold at UFC 194. His top pressure, submission defense, and durable boxing anchor his 93 Wrestling and 86 Boxing.
Between 2016 and 2017, Weidman suffered stoppage losses to Yoel Romero at UFC 205 and Gegard Mousasi at UFC 210, before rebounding in July 2017 on Long Island by submitting Kelvin Gastelum with a third-round arm-triangle choke. His wrestling pressure, mat control, and submission threat justify his 91 Wrestling and 85 Boxing ratings.
Weidman was knocked out by Ronaldo Souza in the third round at UFC 230 in Madison Square Garden in November 2018, then lost by first-round knockout to Dominick Reyes in his light heavyweight debut in Boston in October 2019. His durable boxing fundamentals and collegiate wrestling base remain reflected in an 83 Boxing and 89 Wrestling.
Chris Weidman, the wrestler who dethroned Anderson Silva
Chris Weidman grew up on Long Island, wrestled at Hofstra, and trained with the Serra-Longo team. In 2013 he knocked out Anderson Silva to become middleweight champion, and he repeated the win in a rematch that ended with a serious leg injury for Silva. Draft him for a balanced fighter with top-tier wrestling.
Weidman's card in detail
Boxing. Good. He mixes straight punches with a strong wrestling threat.
Kickboxing. The lowest striking number. He leans on his hands more than his legs.
Wrestling. The best on his card. His takedowns are technical, and his control is strong.
BJJ. Very good. He holds a BJJ black belt and hunts submissions from top position.
Strength. Strong and physical for the division.
Durability. Good, though later fights showed he could be hurt by a big shot.
Cardio. Solid. He was able to work at a steady pace for five rounds.
Fight IQ. High. He set traps and took advantage of aggressive opponents, as with Silva.
Wrestling and the threat behind it
Weidman's wrestling forces opponents to worry about the takedown while he lands strikes. Once he is on top, he passes with purpose and threatens submissions. Take him if your build needs a controlling presence.
His kicks rarely matter: Kickboxing
Weidman is not a kicker, and skilled strikers can use range to score. Against Luke Rockhold, he was finished by strikes. Pair him with a teammate whose kickboxing gives you a second option.
Keep exploring
Closest middleweight profiles to Chris Weidman, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Khamzat Chimaevbest wrestling 98 · weakest kickboxing 80
- Dricus du Plessisbest strength 91 · weakest bjj 85
- Marvin Vettoribest durability 93 · weakest kickboxing 80
- Brendan Allenbest bjj 91 · weakest kickboxing 80
- Middleweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- Grappling vs striking in the draft: a guide that fits Chris Weidman's strongest attribute, Wrestling.
Draft Chris Weidman into your build
Chris Weidman enters the pool on any spin landing on middleweight between 2010 and 2019. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Chris Weidman is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Chris Weidman's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.