Former middleweight champion Chris Weidman should already have had his chance to win his belt back from Luke Rockhold, as the bitter rivals were scheduled to meet in the main event of UFC 199.

Instead, a neck injury stole Weidman's fight and Michael Bisping stole his moment, stepping in on two weeks notice and knocking out Rockhold in the first round to capture the title.

The entire sequence of events was a bizarre experience for the 31-year-old.

"It was definitely a weird feeling, it was hard to watch," said Weidman. "I was just freshly injured and still not over the fact that I wasn't fighting, I wanted that fight so bad and then for the way it happened."

"I couldn't have imagined in a million years that Bisping was going to go out and do that, but it was bittersweet. It was exciting to see Rockhold get humbled like that but it was upsetting that it wasn't me. I was also happy for Bisping, he put in his time and he got an opportunity, thanks to me and he went in there and did it, so I was happy for him."

Sporting a very noticeable scar on his neck from his recent surgery, Weidman was in Ottawa alongside fellow UFC fighters Stevie Ray and Canadian Chad Laprise as the promotion made a financial contribution to the Special Olympics as well as helped lead an MMA class for Special Olympics athletes.

Weidman felt that he had all of the answers necessary to recapture his title before the injury took it all away.

"I planned on fighting Luke and beating him and finishing him," said Weidman. "There were things that Bisping was saying that we planned on capitalizing on too, but it's hard to talk like that when Bisping got the knockout and I'm here with a cut on my neck."

"I'll save the talking until I get my next fight."

As he starts the process of getting back for that next fight, the New York native has his eye on the first UFC Madison Square Garden show in November, but does not think the current champion wants to meet him there.

"I'll be at Madison Square Garden waiting for whoever wants it," said Weidman. "Bisping doesn't want it, it was my title shot, he got the shot because of me and now he's trying to fight the 13th ranked guy in the division (Dan Henderson) so good for him, fight anyone you want."
 

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"He's trying to get a W under his belt and if he can make it happen good for him, I'm not going to cry about it."

The current and former champions have traded harsh words over social media about the next title shot in the middleweight division, but despite that fact, Weidman says he'll fight whoever the UFC puts across from him at MSG.
 

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"I know we've been going off on Twitter and everything but at the end of the day whoever the UFC gives me at Madison Square Garden that's who I have to fight and I don't know who that's going to be, no one has told me a thing."

As far as his own health is concerned, just over a week off the operating table, Weidman is already chomping at the bit to start his comeback.

"Everything is perfect, I feel like I'm ready to do everything I want to do, that's why I have to hold myself back," said Weidman. "It's crazy that I just had surgery eight days ago. They drilled a hole in my neck and I feel pretty damn good." 

"I've been doing physical therapy and strength for this past week. At four weeks I can start picking it up pretty hard and at six weeks I can do MMA training."