Chris Weidman vs Brad Tavares Prediction: Ex-Champ's Comeback Will be a Failure

On the evening of August 20th, UFC 292 will occur in the United States, headlined by a title fight between Aljamain Sterling and Sean O'Malley. We present the prediction for the preliminary card fight Chris Weidman vs Brad Tavares.

Chris Weidman

Chris Weidman shocked the mixed martial arts world when he knocked out Anderson Silva in July 2013 to become the new UFC middleweight champion. In the rematch, the Spider suffered a severe leg fracture that changed his career forever. At the time, no one could have imagined that the story would boomerang back to Weidman.

In recent years, Chris hasn't been on his own. After losing the belt in a confrontation with Luke Rockhold, Weidman could never return to the division's top. Chris had seven fights after the fight with Luke, winning only two of them. But in April 2021, trouble hit Weidman.

The fight with Uriah Hall at UFC 261 ended for Chris in the 17th round. Weidman unsuccessfully kicked his opponent's leg and suffered a terrible fracture, just like Silva did. Chris went through a tough period of rehabilitation, the bone did not fuse properly, and there was a high risk of leg amputation. Fortunately, everything turned out fine, and Weidman is ready to return to the octagon.

Brad Tavares

The 35-year-old American has been competing in the UFC since 2010. Tavares has never fought for a title but has always been considered a tough one.

More often than not, Brad's fights go to a judges' decision, but lately, he has been losing early. Things are not going well for Brad: two wins in his last six fights.

In April this year, Tavares lost a first-round TKO to Bruno Silva, who will face Sharaputdin Magomedov in Abu Dhabi.

Expert Betting Tips

In this confrontation, the fight goes by the wayside. The winner of this story is Chris Weidman, who returned to the octagon after a devastating injury. But was the comeback worth it?

The bookmakers have the former champ as an underdog, and they're right. Weidman did not look his best even before the injury, and it is unknown how he will be after such a severe injury. You also have to consider that Chris is already 39 years old.

Weidman's ambitions should not be doubted; he will try to remind himself loudly. But we don't think it will be enough. Also, Chris will likely end his career if he suffers a defeat. That said, we're in for a great fight that won't come down to a referee's decision. Tavares is in a much better fighting mood and should get him at UFC 292.