Chris Weidman envisions regaining title at UFC 199

Even though he’s fully aware of what happened inside the the MGM Grand Garden on Dec. 12 and that he’s no longer in possession of the Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight title, Chris Weidman still can’t fathom hearing it out loud.

“I haven’t said ‘former champion.’ I’m not ready to say it. It’s weird. I don’t even like when other people say it,” Weidman said in Las Vegas last week. “I feel like it’s disrespectful. I know it’s not, but I just feel like it. I’m looking at him with my belt and very soon I’ll be able to get that back. I need that back. It can’t come soon enough.”

Weidman will get a chance to avenge the first loss of his career in a rematch with Luke Rockhold on June 4 in Los Angeles in the main event of UFC 199. Weidman has been focused on revenge since hours after he lost the belt to Rockhold by way of a fourth-round knockout in a bout that ended Weidman’s dominant run through the division.

“(UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta) came to my room the day after I lost. He spent a couple hours there and we were just talking about life. I let him know I wanted an immediate rematch. I wasn’t at my best and he was better than me that night,” Weidman said. “The first couple days were really tough and then I started seeing the silver lining and things started to get a little brighter.”

Weidman had minor surgeries on his elbow and to repair a deviated septum and then got immediately to work.

“I got my body clean and it was right to the gym and it hasn’t stopped. I’m doing everything I possibly can to make sure I don’t lose again,” he said. “I got humbled and now I’m growing to a whole different level.”

The Long Island, N.Y., native transitioned to mixed martial arts after a standout wrestling career at Hofstra, where he earned a degree in psychology. His area of study served him well as a fighter. From the day he dedicated himself to pursuing the sport as a career, he began mentally picturing his career.

That meant envisioning defeating the longtime champion in his weight class Anderson Silva not just once, but twice to prove it wasn’t a fluke.

Once Weidman achieved that, he started picturing dominating the division and staying undefeated. He was on track after defending the belt against former champions Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort.

His mental preparation appeared to be working as he rolled to 13 consecutive victories, including nine in a row in the UFC.

He never pictured having to deal with defeat.

“If I ever prepared myself for that, It would have been a split-second thing that happened subconsciously and I didn’t even realize it. Consciously, I never let that enter my mind. It was more surreal losing than it was beating Anderson Silva the first time,” he said. “It was just so surreal I couldn’t believe I was standing there beat up. I couldn’t believe I was mounted and getting pounded on.

“There was a lot of things that I just couldn’t believe about the situation. Being in the back and I’m the one who’s beat up and on the stretcher going to the hospital. That feeling was more surreal than any great thing I’ve ever accomplished.”

Weidman, 31, said acceptance of his situation came in stages.

“It was slow and steady, thank God. I think if it hit me at one time I would’ve gone crazy,” he said. “It was very tough to take, but it was reality. I had to come and realize that it’s a real thing that I just got TKO’d by Luke Rockhold in the fourth round.

“If I had to pick one person I didn’t want to lose to, it’s Luke just because he’s cocky and now he’s even cockier. His head got even bigger so now I have to live with that the next three or four months. Then, I’ll make it right.”

The pain and frustration is driving Weidman like never before. He said he is going through a 12-week training camp for the rematch, nearly double his typical routine.

Not only is the extra time in the gym designed to physically prepare, but to help him mentally get over the loss.

“I work past it by working. I’m not constantly thinking about Luke and how he beat me and the things that happened in that fight that were nightmarish. I think about the next fight and the things I’m improving on,” he said. “I’m working like never before. I’ve always worked hard. I’ve always felt like I was the hardest worker in the room. I just feel like this allowed me to grow in a whole new way. I’m on a mission to beat this guy.

“I’m just really excited about my career and where it’s headed right now and the work I’m putting in. The loss gave me the ability to reach my full potential.”

There is still one barrier to get over.

Visualization has always been so much a part of Weidman’s preparation. When he walks to the cage for the rematch, he will have to deal with how things went horribly wrong the last time he was in there.

Weidman insists it won’t be a problem.

“I won’t think like that. I will just be very focused on taking him very seriously and all the work I’ve done to prepare so I can kind of relax in there and let my instincts take over knowing in the back of my mind I can not lose to this guy,” Weidman said. “There’s no way I can get an immediate rematch and lose again. I can’t let that happen.”

If things go as planned, he’ll never have to hear the phrase “former champion” again.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj