Chris Weidman, Thomas Gerbassi join 2026 UFC Hall of Fame class
Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman's spot in the UFC Hall of Fame is secured, along with longtime writer Thomas Gerbasi.
"The All-American's" place in the UFC Hall of Fame is secure. During Saturday night's UFC 328 broadcast, the promotion announced that former middleweight champion Chris Weidman will join the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2026 as part of the fighter wing. Also announced, longtime UFC writer Thomas Gerbassi will be inducted into the contributor wing.
Weidman, a two-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler, made his UFC debut in March 2011 and fought for the promotion until December 2024. The crowning moment of his career came in July 2013 at UFC 162 when he knocked out Anderson Silva to claim the 185-pound title, ending Silva's nearly seven-year reign in stunning fashion. Weidman went on to defense his title three times, first in an immediate rematch with Silva in which Silva broke his leg, followed by wins over Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort.
Weidman lost his title to Luke Rockhold in December 2015 and never quite regained form, losing eight of his final UFC fights while dealing with a plethora of injuries. Gerbasi's entrance into the UFC Hall of Fame comes posthumously after he died on September 16, 2025 at 57. Gerbasi was a longtime combat sports writer who served as the UFC.
com editorial director and also worked for The Ring Magazine and BoxingScene. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Chris Weidman joins UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2026