Chris Weidman trades the analyst’s desk for a commentary booth.
The former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion will make his color commentary debut tomorrow night (Tuesday, September 8, 2026) in Week 5. Contender series Season 10, respectively MMA Junkie.
Weidman is a regular on UFC programming since withdrawing from active competitionacting as a studio analyst and contributing to pre- and post-fight coverage. However, Tuesday will be his first chance to call live fights from the side of the cage.
“American” definitely has a resume for that job.
Weidman famously fell out Anderson Silva At UFC 162 in 2013, which saw Silva snap a record 16-fight UFC winning streak and end one of the biggest championship runs in the promotion’s history (watch the highlights). Weidman successfully defended the middleweight title three times before finally losing it Luke Rockhold in 2015.
The UFC is clearly using 2026 to audition new voices for its broadcast team.
Former Ultimate Fighter (TUF) winner and longtime UFC lightweight Michael’s Church recently made his color commentary debut at UFC Shanghai’s official UFC event. Chiesa already had extensive broadcasting experience as a studio analyst Contender series commentator before getting his first assignment, calling the full UFC card.
Weidman now appears to be embarking on a similar trial run Contender series. If “The All-American” performs well behind the mic, Tuesday’s assignment could finally lead to opportunities on UFC Fight Night shows.
Of course, calling live fights is very different from providing analysis from a studio desk. Weidman has to quickly explain shifts, work with the play-by-play announcer and find the right moments to use his championship-level knowledge without talking about the action.
His combat experience should give him plenty to work with.
Contender series Week 5 takes place tomorrow at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada and will air live on Paramount+ at 7:00 PM ET (4:00 PM PT). Undefeated Light Heavyweight Prospects Quentin Pasley and Arlind Berisha clash in the evening’s main event.
It’s time to see if “American” is as comfortable calling fights as he was competing in them.
To be complete Contender series for news and notes, check out our comprehensive archive here.
