Chris Weidman has a unique perspective on what Conor McGregor might face when he finally returns to the UFC, and it comes from deeply personal experience.
Weidman suffered a broken leg against Uriah Hall in April 2021, just a few months before McGregor shattered his own leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 that July. The nature of both injuries gives Weidman credibility that few others have when speaking about what the comeback trail actually looks like after that kind of trauma.
Speaking on UFC on Paramount's YouTube channel, Weidman expressed confidence that McGregor will return, pointing to his presence in the drug-testing pool as a practical indicator. "He's in the drug-testing pool. For you to come off of stuff, get back in that drug-testing pool, you'd better fight. Otherwise, you're just going to feel worse than you used to feel for no reason. So, I think he fights, for sure."
But he also delivered a warning about what McGregor should expect when the moment arrives. "That was in 2021. He's had enough time to recover, but I will say, your first time coming back — because I went through a very similar injury — it is hard to be the person you were beforehand, for sure."
Weidman recalled a specific moment from his own return that illustrated the psychological dimension of recovering from a leg fracture, describing an instinctive reaction that his body simply would not allow him to execute.
"I remember in training camp, I was throwing kicks like crazy to try to get used to throwing kicks again. And I was fine in training, but when I got into the actual first fight since that leg injury, I was getting kicked, and as soon as I went to throw my kick back, I just couldn't do it. My body wouldn't let me do it. It's just crazy when you go through a traumatic injury like that, how it can affect your head."
Ultimately, Weidman framed McGregor's comeback as a mental challenge as much as a physical one, while expressing hope that the time away has given McGregor what he needs to succeed. "Listen, Conor's really good. It's all about his head; where's his head at? It seems like, from the outside looking in, now he's more in touch with his faith, and it seems like he's getting life in order. That's the type of thing I feel like he needed."
UFC CEO Dana White said over the weekend that McGregor's return is looking good, with UFC 329 on July 11 the most frequently rumored destination for his comeback.
