Chris Weidman is back in the win column. It wasn't a decisive victory over Bruno Silva at UFC Fight Night on Saturday but after a tough seven years, it'll do.
Weidman was awarded a TKO of Silva in Round 3 but the ruling immediately drew a protest from Silva. It appeared that Weidman dropped Silva with a combination of punches before finishing with ground and pound. Video replay revealed that Weidman actually landed a pair of eye pokes that sent Silva to the canvas.
UFC commentator Bruce Buffer announced the result as a TKO in Weidman's favor. The fight was subsequently ruled a technical decision with Weidman still picking up a win. A technical decision occurs when an illegal strike forces a premature end late into the fight. The judges scorecards up to that point were tallied with Weidman winning the decision.
"That felt so good," Weidman said during his post-fight interview. "I'm 39 years old, I've had 30 surgeries, I've been through some hard ass times and I'm right here fighting my ass off.
"I just got done beating a guy who beat a lot of good fighters. I'm still getting my legs back underneath me. I'm still progressing and evolving at 39 years old."
Weidman (16-7) had his back against the wall entering the fight. The former UFC middleweight champion started his career at 13-0 but had lost seven of nine fights heading into Atlantic City. Silva (23-11) has lost his last three fights.