The UFC 261 pay-per-view opener witnessed one of the most horrific injuries in the history of Mixed Martials Arts at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Fla. Former UFC Middleweight Champion Chris Weidman unfortunately suffered a horror injury after his left leg snapped while throwing a kick against Uriah Hall in the Middleweight fight. The bout between the two superstars had to be stopped after just 17 seconds of the first round.
The 36-year-old's nasty leg injury was extremely painful and gruesome to watch as even the 15,000 fans in attendance in the arena were left completely shell shocked with the outcome. A cast was put on Chris Weidman and he was immediately transported to a hospital on a stretcher. UFC officially ruled Uriah Hall as the winner, defeating Chris Weidman via TKO.
“I’ve got nothing but respect for Chris Weidman,” Hall told Joe Rogan after the fight. “He’s truly one of the best. It is a crazy story that he was the first man I fought that defeated me, that introduced me to fear. … I wanted to put on a great performance. I feel so bad for him. I hope he’s OK. I wish the family well. It’s the sucky part of this sport. … I hope he recovers.”
“Whatever rank I am for the future, if he gets well, I owe him this fight and I hope he can come back from it,” Hall said.