UFC: Chris Weidman back ‘on right path’ with win over Omari Akhmedov ‘and that’s a problem for everybody’
- Former champ says ‘all the top-tier guys, I’m coming for you’ after successful return to middleweight division
- ‘There was a lot pressure on me. Not too happy with the performance, but I needed that win’
Chris Weidman got back in the win column with a much-needed victory over Omari Akhmedov on his return to middleweight at Saturday night’s UFC Vegas 6 .
The former champ was 1-5 coming into the fight, suffering a first-round knockout to Dominick Reyes on his last outing in an unsuccessful foray up to the light heavyweight division.
The 36-year-old “All-American” (15-5) scored a unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-27) over Akhmedov (20-5-1), getting a 10-8 final round on two of the judges scorecards.
The victory over the No 11-ranked “Wolverine”, who suffered his first loss in seven fights, should see Weidman finally return to the middleweight rankings next week.
“It was huge, man,” Weidman told Paul Felder in his post-fight interview. “There was a lot pressure on me. I’m happy to get my hand raised. Not too happy with the performance, but I needed that win. I got it done so I can’t be that mad.”