Chris Weidman joins the UFC Hall of Fame this July alongside a beloved UFC staffer.
During Saturday’s UFC 328 broadcast at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., Weidman was officially announced as part of the 2026 UFC Hall of Fame inductees along with longtime UFC editorial director Thomas Gerbasi.
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Weidman established himself as one of the best ever to compete at 185 pounds, knocking out the seemingly indomitable Anderson Silva at UFC 162 to become champion and then successfully defending his title three consecutive times.
Watch Weidman’s Modern Wing Hall of Fame announcement below and his live reaction to the news.
A proud New Yorker, Weidman (16-8) emerged from the Serra-Longo camp as a bright prospect, joining the UFC in 2010 after just four pro bouts. The undefeated prospect continued his surge, winning his first five fights inside the octagon to set up a title fight with the legendary Silva at UFC 162. Weidman shocked the world by finishing Silva with strikes in the second round, snapping Silva’s 16-fight win streak, and then beat Silva in an immediate rematch at UFC 168 when “The Spider” suffered a gruesome leg injury.
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Weidman went on to successfully defend the middleweight title against Vitor Belfort and Lyoto Machida before dropping it to Luke Rockhold in 2015. From there, Weidman was never able to regain his championship form, but he made an inspiring comeback in 2023 after breaking his leg at UFC 261, competing three more times before officially retiring from competition. He currently makes regular appearances as an analyst during UFC broadcasts.
Saturday’s other announced inductee, Gerbasi, enters the UFC Hall of Fame Contributor Wing as one of the most beloved behind-the-scenes members of the promotion. The New York native served as UFC editorial director for more than 20 years, contributing to the UFC magazine, UFC.com, and various other publications. An official press release credits Gerbasi as “editorial director, head writer, and company historian for UFC, recording, reporting, and telling the tale of the world’s greatest sports organization as it unfolded in real time.”
Gerbasi died in February 2025 at the age of 56. He joins a number of illustrious names in the Contributor Wing, including UFC co-creator Art Davie, longtime matchmaker Joe Silva, and television producer and The Ultimate Fighter creator Craig Piligian.
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The 2026 UFC Hall of Fame ceremony takes place July 9 in Las Vegas as part of International Fight Week.
