UFC Long Island preview: Can Weidman break the New York curse?

On April 14, 2016, you'd have been hard-pressed to find a fighter with a brighter future than Chris Weidman.

New York born and bred, "The All-American" had been campaigning for years to have the sport of MMA legalized in his home state. When Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill that finally made that goal a reality, Weidman was right there with him.

At the time, he hadn't fought since losing the UFC middleweight championship to Luke Rockhold, but there was a renewed sense of optimism surrounding his career when it was announced he'd compete at UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden.

There he was, a homegrown talent ready to lead the charge for the UFC in the biggest media market in North America. The matchmakers booked him to fight Yoel Romero, a tough opponent, but one that had the potential to remind everyone of Weidman's star power and set up a rematch with Rockhold.

Then this happened:

In the third round of a competitive fight, Romero clobbered Weidman with a flying knee that sucked the oxygen out of The World's Most Famous Arena. Just like that, he went from losing his spot atop the 185-lb mountain to falling short in his first-ever bout in New York.

Sound bad? It got worse.

Five months later, Weidman received another golden opportunity when he fought Gegard Mousasi in the co-main event of UFC 210, this time in Buffalo. Mousasi's striking looked to be too much for Weidman, and the bout ended in controversial and confusing fashion when he was dazed by a knee that referee Dan Miragliotta at first ruled to be illegal.

Cage-side officials deemed the blow to be legal after going to instant replay, and after a long delay the fight was ruled a TKO loss for Weidman due to his obvious disorientation. It was an unsatisfying end for Mousasi, Weidman, and, most of all, the fans.

Now, Weidman will get a third chance to win one for his loyal New York followers when he fights Kelvin Gastelum in the main event of UFC on FOX 25 in Uniondale on Saturday. Making the stakes even higher is the fact that he hails from Long Island.

This could be the win that catapults him back to relevancy, or it could be a sign that he needs a break from the Empire State.

The accidental contender

Other than being undersized, Gastelum has the makings of a future world champion at 185 pounds.

Just don't tell him he's limited to that.

The 25-year-old Gastelum has a 3-0 record in UFC middleweight competition (and that's not including the beating he put on Vitor Belfort that was later changed to a no-contest after Gastelum tested positive for marijuana), but he recently told MMAjunkie he still plans to drop back down to 170 pounds and compete there.

Gastelum has failed to make the welterweight limit on several occasions, which has brought much opprobrium to the "Ultimate Fighter 17" winner that has overshadowed his otherwise impressive accomplishments in that division.

For the sake of his fans (and his kidneys), let's hope he sticks to the middleweight title path if he knocks off Weidman this weekend.

Reign of 'El Terror'

Speaking of would-be contenders, one that's been flying under the radar is streaking bantamweight Jimmie Rivera.

Fighting out of Manhattan, Rivera enters his main card bout with Thomas Almeida on a 19-fight win streak - the second-longest of any UFC fighter, trailing only Khabib Nurmagomedov (24). Rivera is 4-0 inside the Octagon, and his lone loss was a split decision back in November 2008.

It's not just the sheer amount of wins, either. "El Terror" has authored convincing unanimous decision victories over veterans Urijah Faber and Iuri Alcantara in his past two outings, dismissing the notion that he's been crushing cans on the regional scene.

Rivera is missing a signature moment (his only UFC finish was a first-round knockout of Marcus Brimage), and he may not get it against the dangerous Almeida. But if he keeps racking up victories against top-10 competition, he'll soon be the last man standing in the contenders' line.

Related - UFC Long Island predictions: Gastelum looks to join 185-lb elite

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)