Chris Weidman on his weight: “I was 216.8 when I got the call (to fight Demian Maia)”

Today’s “The MMA Show with Mauro Ranallo” podcast featured an interview with Chris Weidman, the undefeated UFC middleweight prospect who stepped up on only 10 days’ notice and took a short-notice fight against ground wizard Demian Maia at UFC on FOX 2. Weidman stopped by to talk about why he took the fight, the state of the middleweight division, his recently-deceased uncle’s life, and how much he weighed when he got the call.

“I was 216.8 when I got the call. Usually I’m around 210ish, 208. I was a little heavier than normal since it’s short notice. I don’t prefer to cut this much weight but given the opportunity I’ve done worse. I’m not worried about making the weight. I will make the weight. It’s part of the sport. I welcome the test, the grind of making the weight. It’s going to make me a tougher person, not just for this fight but just in general. Just experiences with taking fights on short notice and overcoming the odds and difficulties of doing it is just good for a fighter to have under his belt.”

- Chris Weidman to Mauro Ranallo on The MMA Show