Chris Weidman - photo courtesy of chrisweidman.com
Weidman steps in for McGee, meets Bongfeldt at UFC 131
Jesse Bongfeldt may have lost a tough opponent in Court McGee due to injury a few months prior to their scheduled UFC 131 match up, but the last man to win “The Ultimate Fighter” has been replaced with a fast-rising prospect.
The UFC announced today that Chris Weidman has stepped in to face Bongfeldt in Vancouver this June.
Undefeated Chris Weidman, who was impressive defeating Alessio Sakara in his UFC debut, has verbally agreed to step in against tough Canadian Jesse Bongfeldt,” UFC president Dana White stated.
Weidman debuted with the promotion at “UFC on Versus 3” in early March against Alessio Sakara, earning an impressive unanimous decision victory after three rounds of action. Prior to that contest, Weidman earned four victories under the Ring of Combat banner and now sits at a perfect 5-0 in mixed martial arts competition.
Like his upcoming opponent, Bongfeldt’s last contest was also his first with the UFC, but the result was not a favorable one. The middleweight veteran and Rafael Natal fought to a draw on the preliminary card of UFC 124 last December, marking the first time in his last eight fights Bongfeldt did not leave the cage with a victory. He now stands at 21-7-1 as a professional.
UFC 131 is set for June 11 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and features a heavyweight clash between opposing coaches on the latest season of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Brock Lesnar and Junior dos Santos. The winner of the featured tilt will face champion Cain Velasquez at a later date this year.
