Earlier this month former UFC middleweight champion, Chris Weidman was set to make his homecoming in New York when he was scheduled to fight Eryk Anders at the blockbuster UFC 309 event.
Since joining the UFC in 2011, Chris Weidman has only fought in his home state of New York on two separate occasions, losing both times.
‘The All-American’ was hoping to right his wrongs at UFC 309 when he was scheduled to take on Eryk Anders in a big fight in the middleweight division.
Unfortunately, though, just hours before their fight, the UFC broadcast team announced that Anders had withdrawn from the fight due to medical issues, which left Weidman ‘crushed’.
Chris Weidman details a meeting he had with Eryk Anders a day after UFC 309
Although the reason for Anders’ withdrawal wasn’t stated at the time, it came out shortly after that the 37-year-old was suffering from food poisoning.
Weidman admitted that he saw Anders a day later in the fighter hotel and ‘Ya Boi’ provided him with some information as to what happened.
“I actually saw him the next day, I saw him walking through the hotel lobby and stuff so we chatted for a little bit. Apparently, he and, I don’t know if it’s his teammate or a guy that’s managed by the same management company (Marcus McGhee), he got food poisoning too and fought,” Weidman began to explain on The Ariel Helwani Show.
Marcus McGhee also competed on the UFC 309 card where he picked up a unanimous decision win against Jonathan Martinez.
“I guess they went to the same spot, the same Italian spot in New York and they ended up getting food poisoning and I guess McGhee’s might’ve been not as bad, I don’t know, but either way, he was able to fight and Anders couldn’t,” Weidman continued.
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Chris Weidman reveals he didn’t receive his full fight purse for UFC 309
Even though it wasn’t the former middleweight champion who withdrew from the fight, Weidman has revealed that he hasn’t received his full fight purse, despite having weighed in and been ready to fight.
“They’re gonna take care of me, they’re doing something for me, I’m not getting my full purse (from UFC 309), I’ll put that out there, which it’s tough, you show up (and make weight).
“My show money is my win money, I have guaranteed money so that was my point, I showed up, you guys had that on the budget sheet to begin with, you guys made a great night, why do you guys keep that money and I don’t? That was my thought,” Weidman stated.
The fight between Weidman and Anders has now been rescheduled to take place at UFC 310 on December 7, and it will take place at a catchweight of 195lbs.
However, Weidman has admitted that the promotion was trying to keep him on the UFC 309 card till the last minute, and they were looking for 205lbers in the area to step in on hours’ notice.
“They also said that they were trying to find another opponent for me, I guess that whole day. They were looking for 205lbers that either fought that day or anybody in the area, trying to do one of those Dan Ige-type situations.
“Apparently the New York commission was not going to allow anything on that type of short notice so that’s what stopped that from happening,” Weidman revealed.
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