Khabib Nurmagomedov to Daniel Cormier – UFC’s Most Controversial Weigh-Ins
These are some of the most controversial weigh-ins in the recent times.
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Top 10 Controversial weigh-ins (Via UFC)
UFC fighters missing weight is not rare. There are several occasions when fighters struggle to make the required weight during the weigh-in. In MMA, athletes generally try to exploit the weight limits to go down in weight classes and gain an advantage. Moreover, It’s not a secret, and many fighters don’t shy away from using it.
Throughout these years, fans have experienced many weigh-in situations, which were confusing as well as bizarre to watch. Some of the best fighters, like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier, have had issues on the weigh-in days. Here are some of the most notable ones.
Khabib Nurmagomedov – UFC 254
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s last UFC fight before his retirement was his lightweight title defense against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. The weigh-ins were a bit controversial among the fight fans. Khabib rose to global fame after his fierce rivalry against Conor McGregor.
During the weigh-ins, Nurmagomedov got onto the scale for 3 seconds, and the official confirmed that he was within the 155 lb limit. However, fans questioned the veracity of the weigh-in as it generally takes some time for the scale to calibrate with the athlete’s weight before showing the actual reading.
‘The Eagle’ always had problems regarding cutting weight and once had a near-death experience during extreme cutting. Fight fans accused him many times of pulling out of fights as he failed to reach the official weight limit. Despite the struggles on the weigh-in scale, the fighter always ensured to keep his perfect record alive.
Yoel Romero – UFC 225
Yoel Romero fought Luke Rockhold at UFC 221. The fight was for the UFC Interim middleweight title. But before the fight, ‘The Soldier of God’ missed the championship required weight by 3.7 pounds. This ruined the opportunity for Romero to win the title, although Rockhold still had the chance to do so. If Romero had won the fight, then he wouldn’t belong on the list of fighters to not win the UFC gold.
Romero won the fight and knocked out his opponent, but his win was not rewarding enough. The fighter got a shot at the undisputed title when he was scheduled to fight Robert Whittaker at UFC 225. But unfortunately, Romero again made the same mistake and failed to make the weight. Nonetheless, Whittaker won the fight via split decision and shut down Romero to get a shot at the gold twice in a row.
Daniel Cormier – UFC 210
Daniel Cormier’s weight controversy remains the most talked-about one on the list. Though he is among the greatest wrestlers to ever compete in the UFC, he had troubles on the weigh-in scale. The former UFC double champion was scheduled to fight Anthony Johnson. But at the official weigh-ins, Cormier came out with a towel and made the weight naked.
When he first stepped on the scale, it showed 206.2 lbs. DC went back and after a few minutes miraculously made the weight limit of 205 lbs. Many claimed that DC intentionally held on to the towel which was held by the officials to make the weight. It is known as the Towelgate gate among the fight fans.
Geoff Neal – UFC 285
Geoff Neal was set to take on Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 285 in a welterweight clash. Unfortunately, he missed weight by a margin of almost four pounds. Despite missing the weight, the undefeated Kazakh fighter decided to compete.
As a result, he was fined 30% of his fight purse. Adding insult to injury, Neal suffered a submission loss to Rakhmonov in the third round of their non-title bout. Things would appear worse for Neal as his fight against Rakhmonov was declared the Fight of the Night (FOTN).
Because he missed weight, he was technically ineligible for the FOTN bonus. Thankfully for him, Dana White decided to offer him the bonus nonetheless.
William Knight – UFC 271
William Knight fought Maxim Grishin on the preliminary card of UFC 271, but the fight was a little bit controversial. The reason is that Knight missed the light heavyweight weight limit by a whopping 12 pounds, which is considered the biggest weight miss in UFC history.
However, it was reasonable as Knight had to replace Ed Herman who pulled out due to an injury before the fight. Knight had only two weeks to be ready for the hard fight. Still missing the weight by 12 pounds does sound bizarre. After that fight, Knight never came down to 205 lbs and now plays as a Heavyweight fighter.
Anthony Johnson (multiple instances)
Anthony Johnson started his UFC career as a welterweight and eventually made his way to the heavyweight division. During his decorated career in the promotion, ‘Rumble’ missed weight on three different occasions.
In 2012 at UFC 142, Johnson went against Vitor Belfort, and during the weigh-ins, he missed the weight by 11 pounds. To fight Belfort, Johnson moved up to middleweight but still missed the weight limit and was 197 pounds on the scale. However, Belfort had no objection, and the fight went on, and the Brazilian BJJ fighter won the fight via first-round submission.
Kelvin Gastelum – UFC 183
Kelvin Gastelum back then was considered one of the most promising fighters after he defeated Uriah Hall and won The Ultimate Fighter 17 in 2013. But the fighter has always faced problems in making the weight. In his fight against former champion Tyron Woodley at UFC 183, Gastelum missed the weight by 9 lbs.
In his next fight, Kelvin Gastelum was scheduled to fight Donald Cerrone in the welterweight division, but the then 29-year-old didn’t show up to the weigh-ins. Reportedly, Gastelum was over 10 lbs from the welterweight limit.
Paulo Costa – UFC Fight Night 196
Paulo Costa is one of those fighters who has always looked heavier to be fighting in the current division they are in. The Brazilian faced Marvin Vettori at UFC Fight Night 196, but the fight was full of controversy. Ahead of the fight, Costa revealed that he was unable to make the weight, and the fight should shift to a catchweight bout at 190 pounds.
However, after the measurements, Costa failed to make the weight, and the officials had no choice but to increase the limit to 195 pounds and later to 198 pounds. Finally, the fight took place at light heavyweight (205 pounds) and the Italian fighter won the fight via unanimous decision.
Khamzat Chimaev – UFC 279
Khamzat Chimaev is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC. His undefeated status adds to his allure. He received a favorable comparison to Khabib Nurmagomedov. Unfortunately, his weight miss became a huge controversy. He came in heavy for his first marine event bout at UFC 279, where he was scheduled to take on Nate Diaz.
Unfortunately, ‘Borz’ missed weight by 7.5 pounds resulting in the fight being cancelled. Consequently, Chimaev was then booked to fight Kevin Holland in a catchweight fight at 180 pounds. The undefeated fighter made easy work of Holland and submitted him in the very first round. Since then, he has moved to the middleweight division due to his struggle to make the welterweight limit.
Michel Pereira – UFC 291
Michel Pereira was supposed to take on Stephen ‘Wonderboy’ Thompson in a welterweight clash at UFC 291. This bout was among the many exciting bouts at UFC 291 which featured a BMF title fight main event. It was a clash between two exciting strikers in the UFC. Wonderboy made the weight with ease and was ready to fight Pereria.
Unfortunately, Pereira missed weight, and the bout had to be canceled, as the Utah Commission did not allow extra time for a fighter after missing weight. Thompson was offered a catchweight bout with Pereira but chose not to fight. Since then, Pereira moved to the middleweight division.
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Soumya Ranjan
(2167 Articles Published)