Chris Weidman is desperate to change his fortunes at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik.
Weidman faces Omari Akhmedov in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik. If there is one thing Weidman is sure of heading into the event, it is that he needs a win, badly.
“I need to get a freaking ‘W,” Weidman said to MMA Fighting. “I need to get back on my winning ways. I think I have a lot of advantages in this fight but when you’re in there, you never know what’s going to happen. I’m taking it very seriously. He’s tough but when I look at the guys I’ve fought, I don’t think he’s up there as far as the most talented. I think that’s a fair statement without knocking him.”
Weidman has one sole victory in his last six UFC fights, defeating Kelvin Gastelum at UFC On Fox 25. The former middleweight champion is partaking in some of the best training in his professional MMA career. Weidman hopes it all pays off on Saturday night.
“My goal is to go in there and show there are different levels to this game,” Weidman said. “I’ve been training consistently longer than I probably have in a very long time. I think that’s going to pay off in this fight. I haven’t been out of the gym. I’ve been healthy for a long time now. I’m really hoping that pays off. A lot of my career I’m out of the gym, I’m injured and I’m blown up. This time, I really haven’t been out of the gym between fights. I’m excited to see that work out for me. I’ve just got to get my hand raised. I really think I’m definitely still one of the best in the world but I’ve got to go out there and prove it and get a ‘W’ and start getting on a streak again. Hopefully, Aug. 8 will be the start of it.”
UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Oleinik takes place on Saturday, August 8 from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and streams on ESPN+. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event.
