Ten years ago, a surprising decision inside the Octagon cost Chris Weidman his UFC middleweight title, but the former champion insists he has no regrets.
At UFC 194 in December 2015, best remembered for Conor McGregor’s 13-second knockout of José Aldo, the co-main event also delivered a dramatic title change. Weidman, making the fourth defence of his belt, faced former Strikeforce champion Luke Rockhold in Las Vegas.
After a competitive opening, the fight turned when Weidman attempted a risky wheel kick. Rockhold ducked under, took the champion down for the first time and unleashed heavy ground-and-pound, forcing a stoppage and claiming the title.
Speaking on The MMA Hour the following month, Weidman said he did not blame the kick for the loss and was actually glad to experience defeat for the first time in his career.
“I don’t regret doing that, because I’m happy I lost,” Weidman said. “I felt like I was winning the fight, but I was running on two cylinders and I deserved to lose. It taught me lessons I needed to learn.”
He added that the kick itself was not his main concern, pointing instead to mistakes he made after hitting the canvas and changes he was eager to make going forward.
Weidman was scheduled to face Rockhold in a rematch at UFC 199 the following year but withdrew through injury. Michael Bisping stepped in and stunned Rockhold to win the title, while Weidman later returned to suffer a knockout loss to Yoel Romero, marking a dramatic shift in the middleweight division.
