Chris Weidman is stepping back into the Octagon this weekend at UFC 309. If you thought his career was over, think again because even after going through a wringer, he isn’t done yet. The former middleweight kingpin has sustained over 30 career injuries including that devastating leg break that had everyone thinking—he was done. But nope, the All-American isn’t just showing up; he is confident that he will remind everyone that he belongs at the top.

Weidman is 1-1 in his past 2 outings with his latest fight being his victory over Bruno Silva at the UFC on ESPN 54 in March. This time he will be up against Eryk Anders and bringing that same energy, resilience, and fire to the game. But if you thought he was doing it all alone, you’re wrong. Behind him is an army of support, celebrating through the ups and supporting him through the losses, namely his dad, Weidman senior—Charlie Weidman.

All we know about Charlie Weidman, Chris Weidman’s father

Charlie Weidman is the father of UFC veteran Chris Weidman and a key figure in his son’s rise to success. Though the spotlight has always been on his son, his role is something that cannot be overlooked. Charlie is a charismatic and supportive father of three and has dedicated much of his life to supporting his children. This has been quite true when it comes to Chris and his wrestling career as he has been there to support him and drive him to practices from second grade through high school.

It takes commitment and love to believe and support one’s son wholeheartedly, and he has done exactly that. Let it be in any phase, from the time Chris Weidman became an All-American wrestler at Hofstra University to the undisputed king at 185lbs. But having said that, his life was not without struggles. Charlie had inherited his father’s electrical rebuilding business, and he ran it for several years.

However, a financial betrayal from his partner resulted in him losing his company. It did leave him in a tough spot, but he never let those issues reflect or disturb his son’s dreams. His ability to always show up even in his darkest of times was prevalent in his son’s final title defense way back in 2015.

The backstory behind the “That’s Still My Boy” meme featuring Weidman’s father

Charlie Weidman is the epitome of support, and there is proof to back this up. He quite literally gets into the cage in support of his son! Well, this is what happened the day Chris Weidman lost to Luke Rockhold at UFC 194 in December 2015. Chris had lost his title in convincing fashion with a barrage of ground and pound at the hands of Rockhold, and while that might pinch, his father’s next step will, of course, be something he remembers forever, better or for worse!

So, Weidman lost his middleweight crown after a fourth-round TKO. But well, for him, things only got worse after the post-fight interview. After he was done talking, his father Charlie grabbed his mic and shouted, “That’s still my boy.” Well, one can take it as a way of the father-son bond. But here it was taken as a rather embarrassing context. And it didn’t take long for the media and the social media to get all over this. From memes to remixes, everything was shared, and everything went viral! A statement that was supposed to be of support turned out to be quite different.

We wonder if it’s wholesome, embarrassing, or cringy to the All-American. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.