- published: 17 Jun 2016
- views: 13066
Christopher James "Chris" Weidman (born June 17, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist. He is the former UFC Middleweight Champion. As of December 14, 2015, he is #11 in official UFC pound-for-pound rankings and ranked as the #2 middleweight and #7 pound-for-pound fighter in the world by Sherdog.
Chris Weidman was born in Baldwin, New York, the second of three children. He is of German and Irish descent. He and his older brother were involved in numerous athletic activities. Chris started wrestling at a very young age. With his natural athleticism he mastered the sport very quickly. He attended Baldwin Senior High School on Long Island where he was a Nassau County and New York state wrestling champion. He was an All-American in Cadet Freestyle and Greco Roman.
A standout in college, he earned All-American wrestling honors twice at Nassau Community College before transferring to Hofstra. He became the first junior college wrestler in history to be a NYS Collegiate Champion. At Hofstra, he became a two-time Division I All-American, placing 3rd at the NCAA tournament his senior year. Weidman graduated from Hofstra University with a bachelor's degree in psychology.