“The All-American’s” place in the UFC Hall of Fame is secure.
During Saturday night’s UFC 328 broadcast, the promotion announced that former middleweight champion Chris Weidman will join the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2026 as part of the fighter wing. Also announced, longtime UFC writer Thomas Gerbassi will be inducted into the contributor wing.
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Weidman, a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, made his UFC debut in March 2011 and fought for the promotion until December 2024. The crowning moment of his career came in July 2013 at UFC 162 when he knocked out Anderson Silva to claim the 185-pound title, ending Silva’s nearly seven-year reign in stunning fashion.
Weidman went on to defense his title three times, first in an immediate rematch with Silva in which Silva broke his leg, followed by wins over Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort. Weidman lost his title to Luke Rockhold in December 2015 and never quite regained form, losing eight of his final UFC fights while dealing with a plethora of injuries.
“Chris Weidman is one of the greatest middleweights in UFC history,” UFC CEO Dana White said in a news release. “Chris consistently competed against the best athletes in the world during his career, and his victories over Anderson Silva changed the landscape of the middleweight division forever.”
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Gerbasi’s entrance into the UFC Hall of Fame comes posthumously after he died Sept. 16, 2025, at 57. Gerbasi was a longtime combat sports writer who served as the UFC.com editorial director and also worked for The Ring Magazine and BoxingScene.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Chris Weidman joins UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2026
