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Chris Weidman didn’t get the result he wanted at UFC 292, his long-awaited return to action after suffering a brutal broken leg more than two years ago.

Just making it back for another fight was probably victory enough, but the 39-year-old former middleweight champion wanted to win – and Brad Tavares had other ideas. Over three rounds, Tavares punished Weidman’s lead leg with kicks, which left Weidman limping badly before he lost a unanimous decision.

Afterward, UFC President Dana White begged Weidman to call it a career while going as far as saying “Chris, I love you, please, please retire.” While Weidman’s comeback was spoiled, UFC welterweight Matt Brown disagrees with the calls for his retirement, especially after a single loss where his opponent clearly had the perfect strategy set up to beat him.

“I give credit to Brad Tavares and hopefully Weidman can come back and fight some more guys,” Brown said on the new episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer. “I don’t agree with Dana. I don’t think Chris needs to retire.

“I think he can come back and still do great things in the sport, just don’t fight Brad Tavares. The dude is a bad matchup for you.”

For all the talk about Weidman returning from a devastating injury and more than two years away, Tavares didn’t seem to get much credit for executing his game plan. That’s why Brown is quick to point out that the problem wasn’t Weidman losing a step, but rather Tavares putting together a brilliant performance.

“Everything I’ve been reading on Twitter and people talking about is everything about Chris Weidman and his leg,” Brown said. “I love Chris Weidman, hung out with him a few times, amazing guy but I have not heard near the credit for Brad Tavares in this fight. I think Brad Tavares did the right thing and I give the credit to him more so than Chris Weidman’s injury.

“I think had the injury never happened, the way Brad Tavares looked Saturday and the way that he fought would have won that fight maybe at any time in Chris Weidman’s career. I thought Brad just played a perfect game plan. That lead leg kick starting it off, it was a perfect game plan. He did it very, very well.”

Of course, Brown understands White is entitled to his opinion, especially when it comes to anybody fighting on the UFC roster. But he just doesn’t see enough evidence to advocate for Weidman’s retirement just yet.

Weidman was adamant after the fight that he planned on competing again, and Brown expects him to have a better showing the next time around when he’s not returning from such a long layoff not to mention returning from that unreal injury.

“I’m not sure why Dana is saying that, but he’s entitled to his own opinion,” Brown said. “Dana is a strong, opinionated guy. It is what it is. Dana, he likes to see guys performing at their best, especially the guys that he likes. He doesn’t like to see guys go out there and not perform at their best. That’s why I can’t say it [enough] times, I think it was Brad Tavares.

“I think Chris Weidman had the potential to perform very well but Brad Tavares took that away from him. It wasn’t Chris Weidman going out injured or anything. It was simply Brad Tavares was on point that night. I still think [Weidman] can do big things. I think he can get back to the top 10. I think he has that in him to do it. It’s just going to be a very long road now.”

Brown expects Weidman to bounce back from the loss and give a better showing in his next appearance in the UFC. But more than anything, he just doesn’t love that Tavares’ win is somehow being discounted despite an excellent performance on Saturday.

“I think people should stop talking about Weidman’s injury, and I think Chris would say the same thing,” Brown said. “I think he would sit here right now and he would say the exact same thing.

“I bet he felt good going in there. I bet everything was on point in his camp and with his nutrition. He had a [fight] against a guy who was better than him that night.”

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