Mixed martial arts is a “what have you done for me lately” business. But it’s important to look beyond the last few years of the sport sometimes and remember just what was done before.
Like Chris Weidman’s reign as middleweight champion. For 889 days from 2013 to 2015, the Long Islander ruled the division, not only dethroning an all-time great in Anderson Silva and beating him a second time, but also defeating two more former champions in Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort before losing his crown to Luke Rockhold.
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Weidman’s reign, which was bested only by Silva and Israel Adesanya, doesn’t get its just due these days, but when the 185-pound belt has changed four times in the last two years, it shows how special this achievement was.