Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman tasted another defeat last night (Fri., May 23, 2025) at Fury Pro 13 LIVE on UFC Fight Pass from Atlantic City, New Jersey, dropping an overtime loss to former NCAA Division 1 All-American wrestler Pat Downey via golden score.
Weidman, who half-retired from MMA earlier this year following a TKO loss to Eryk Anders at UFC 310, was making his return to grappling for the first time in years. The former college wrestler and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is one of the most respected ground specialists the UFC’s middleweight division has ever seen, but that didn’t necessarily mean Weidman would put it all together once again against a powerhouse like “Lizard King.”
Downey, who placed top-10 in the world in freestyle wrestling in 2018, has been more active than Weidman when it comes to grappling tournaments. Over the past year, Downey has captured wins over the likes of former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold and current UFC middleweight fighter Andre Petroski. Needless to say, Downey was expected to give Weidman more problems than Weidman would give him.
Surprisingly, their main card clash on Friday lasted long enough to hit overtime. That meant a “golden score” was put into effect and a takedown could win the match. It was Downey who ended up scoring a slamming takedown over Weidman to secure the win and hand the former UFC champion another loss to add to his combat record.
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This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
