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UFC 309 News: Former Champion Returns at Rumored Madison Square Garden Event

The Long Island-native will fight in front of his home fans in New York City.

Drew Beaupre

(Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)

A former UFC Middleweight Champion will try to win back-to-back fights for the first time since his title reign when he returns on November 16.

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Chris Weidman Returns In November

While nothing is officially confirmed for the UFC card on November 16 as of yet, the current expectation is that UFC 309 will take place on that date at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The UFC’s first trip to MSG famously saw Conor McGregor become a two-division champion when he knocked out Eddie Alvarez in the main event of UFC 205, and last year at UFC 295 fans saw both Tom Aspinall and Alex Pereira claim belts after a planned heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic fell through.

A rebooked Jones vs. Miocic fight has already been rumored for November 16, but fans do have confirmation from Iridium Sports Agency that former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman will appear on that card opposite Eryk Anders.

After losing his middleweight belt and unbeaten record to Luke Rockhold at UFC 194, Weidman went on a difficult run that eventually saw him suffer a nasty leg break in the opening round of his rematch with Uriah Hall at UFC 261 in 2021.

UFC 309 News: Former Champion Returns at Rumored Madison Square Garden Event
Mar 30, 2024; Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA; Chris Weidman (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Bruno Silva (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at Boardwalk Hall. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports / Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

“The All-American” returned last year and lost a unanimous decision to Brad Tavares before he picked up his first win since 2020 when he defeated Bruno Silva. The 40-year-old will now have a chance to earn back-to-back wins when he takes on Anders, who last stepped into the Octagon when he took a unanimous decision over Jamie Pickett in March.

UFC 309 News: Former Champion Returns at Rumored Madison Square Garden Event
Dec 3, 2022; Orlando, Florida, USA; Eryk Anders (red gloves) reacts after fighting Kyle Daukaus (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Weidman vs. Anders is a solid start to UFC 309, and given the fact that the card is expected to take place at Madison Square Garden the UFC will undoubtedly announce some massive fights as November 16 draws closer.

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Drew Beaupre
DREW BEAUPRE

Drew is an MMA writer that regularly watches regional events in addition to major promotions such as the UFC, PFL, Bellator, and ONE Championship. He joined MMA Knockout when it was founded in 2023.

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