Long Island's Chris Weidman Wins At UFC Vegas 6

LAS VEGAS, NV — Long Island's Chris Weidman is back in the win column. Weidman, the former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight champion, defeated Omari Akhmedov via unanimous decision at UFC Vegas 6 on Saturday.

"The All American" won the first and third rounds against his Russian opponent, notching his first victory since July 2017 and snapping a two-fight skid.

Weidman reigned as the UFC's 185-pound king from 2013 through late 2015. A 1-5 stretch led to him moving up to light heavyweight at 205 pounds for a bout against Dominick Reyes. Following a loss, he dropped back down to middleweight to fight Akhmedov.

"I'm back, man. I'm back," Weidman told UFC commentator Paul Felder after his win. "I'm back at 185. All the top-tier guys, I'm coming for you. I know this wasn't the most outstanding win, but it's me on the right page, and that's a problem for everybody."

Weidman, a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler at Hofstra University in 2006 and 2007, leaned on his wrestling ability to surpass Akhmedov's own. With Weidman winning the first round on the three judges' scorecards and Akhmedov the second, the fight was up for grabs entering the third and final frame. Weidman took his opponent down and attempted a variety of submissions — a banana split followed by an arm-triangle — to claim the round.

The judges scored the bout 29-27, 29-27 and 29-28 in Weidman's favor. The win moved Weidman's professional mixed martial arts record to 15-5.

Akhmedov was the No. 11-ranked UFC middleweight contender going into Saturday, while Weidman was un-ranked in the division for the first time in years. That will likely change as soon as the updated rankings come out.

After getting choked up thinking of the support from his family, Weidman said he's looking forward to his fighting future.

"I feel like I have a new start here at middleweight, and I'm really excited about it," Weidman told ESPN MMA after the bout. "It just wasn't the fight I 100 percent envisioned, but it's all good."