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USA Today Sports Media Group

Sport

MMA Junkie Staff

Scale snafus: UFC official weigh-in misses in 2024

UFC Manel Kape Matheus Nicolau MMA

The old adage is that the fight before the fight in MMA is the one with the scale.

Weight-cutting struggles and eventual weight misses are a regular part of the sport. Throughout 2024, we updated this story each time there was an infraction on the UFC scale – or fights that were scrapped because of issues with a fighter’s weight.

Here’s a running list that will update throughout the 2024 calendar year. Fighters listed are in chronological order of their scheduled bouts.

(List updated after UFC on ESPN 55 weigh-ins in Las Vegas on April 26, 2024.)

Manel Kape | UFC Fight Night 234

Event: UFC Fight Night 234
Date: Jan. 13
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 129.5
Notes: Flyweight contender Manel Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) came in significantly above the non-title limit for his co-main event against Matheus Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC). They were the last two to come to the scale in the weigh-in session, but Nicolau was on target at 126 pounds. Kape initially was fined 25 percent of his purse, but ultimately the Nevada State Athletic Commission scrapped the fight.

Malcolm Gordon | UFC 297

Event: UFC 297
Date: Jan. 20
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 127.5
Notes: Malcolm Gordon (14-7 MMA, 2-4 UFC) was one of the final two fighters to come to the scale during the two-hour weigh-in window in Toronto, and the look on his face when the curtain was brought out said it all. Gordon was 1.5 pounds over the limit. In Ontario, fighters do get extra time – up to an hour. But that extra hour has to come in the two-hour window, and considering Gordon left the scale with only about 17 minutes left, the likelihood he was going to hit his mark was quite low. His opponent, Jimmy Flick (16-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC), made weight early in the session at 126. Gordon made no additional attempt and was fined 20 percent of his purse.

Ramon Taveras | UFC 297

Event: UFC 297
Date: Jan. 20
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
Division: Bantamweight
Final weight: 139.5
Notes: Ramon Taveras (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) badly missed the mark for his UFC debut against fellow debutant Serhiy Sidey (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Tavares was 3.5 pounds over the non-title limit and was fined 30 percent of his purse.

Luana Carolina

Event: UFC Fight Night 235
Date: Feb. 3
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s flyweight
Final weight: 128
Notes: Luana Carolina (9-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) was well over the limit for her women’s flyweight bout on the prelims against Julija Stoliarenko (11-7-1 MMA, 2-5 UFC). She was 129 pounds on her first attempt, but Stoliarenko said she wouldn’t take the fight unless Carolina got to 128 – and the commission gave her an extra hour to get there to keep the fight intact. In 2021, Carolina missed weight ahead of a split decision win over Poliana Botelho. She was fined 20 percent of her purse ahead of the fight that sees her opponent as the favorite for the seventh straight time.

Ihor Potieria

Event: UFC Fight Night 236
Date: Feb. 10
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Middleweight
Final weight: 187.5
Notes: Ihor Potieria (20-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) took his fight against Polish UFC newcomer Robert Bryczek (17-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on only about a week’s notice. And making matters even more difficult, the fight is 20 pounds down from his normal light heavyweight division. Potieria looked rough enough on the scale that commission members didn’t offer him the opportunity to cut additional weight and asked him to start rehydrating shortly after he left the scale. He will be fined 20 percent of his purse.

Daniel Lacerda

Event: UFC Fight Night 237
Date: Feb. 24
Location: Mexico City Arena
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 127
Notes: Daniel Lacerda (11-5 MMA, 0-4 UFC) came to the scale reasonably early in the two-hour weigh-in window in Mexico City, and he was off by a pound at 127. He elected to stop cutting weight rather than take the extra time typically allotted. Maybe he had some insight that his opponent, Edgar Chairez (10-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC), was going to come in significantly above the flyweight limit (see below), so he decided to save the effort. In 2022, Lacerda came in at 129 pounds for a fight against Vinicius Salvador, and that bout was canceled because of his miss.

Edgar Chairez

Event: UFC Fight Night 237
Date: Feb. 24
Location: Mexico City Arena
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 127
Notes: Like his opponent, Daniel Lacerda (11-5 MMA, 0-4 UFC) (see above), Edgar Chairez (10-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) came in over the limit for flyweight. But unlike Lacerda, he missed by a bunch. Chairez was 131 pounds for his rematch with Lacerda. Because Lacerda was 127 himself, it’s likely the bout will be reworked at a catchweight.

CJ Vergara

Event: UFC 299
Date: March 9
Location: Kaseya Center
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 127
Notes: CJ Vergara (12-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) missed the flyweight limit for the third time in six fights. His opponent, Asu Almabaev (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), will get a percentage of his purse. In Florida. Vergara had to weigh in within the first hour. He did so. The miss gave him an additional extra hour, but he stayed over at 127. He missed weight by 1.4 pounds in 2021 and lost a decision to Ode Osbourne. He missed again less than a year later, but by 3 pounds, and was submitted by Tarsuro Taira.

Natan Levy

Event: UFC Fight Night 239
Date: March 16
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Lightweight
Final weight: 156.5
Notes: Natan Levy (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) came to the scale in briefs and a chain around his neck. He took both off and still was 156.5 pounds less than an hour into the weigh-in window. He was not medically cleared to cut additional weight and was fined 20 percent of his purse for his bout against Mike Davis (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) to close out the preliminary card.

Chelsea Chandler

Event: UFC Fight Night 239
Date: March 16
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Final weight: 137
Notes: Chelsea Chandler (5-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was a pound over the women’s bantamweight limit at 137 for her bout on the prelims. She was not medically cleared to cut additional weight and was fined 20 percent of her purse for her bout against Josiane Nunes (10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC).

Danny Silva

Event: UFC Fight Night 239
Date: March 16
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Featherweight
Final weight: 148.5
Notes: Danny Silva (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was off by 2.5 pounds at 148.5 for his featherweight prelim. He was not medically cleared to cut additional weight and was fined 20 percent of his purse for his bout against Josh Culibao (11-2-1 MMA, 3-2-1 UFC).

Julio Arce

Event: UFC on ESPN 54
Date: March 30
Location: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J.
Division: Featherweight
Final weight: 147.5
Notes: Julio Arce (18-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) missed weight for his featherweight fight against Herbert Burns (11-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC). Strangely, Arce’s weight was announced as 147 on his first attempt, and he was given an additional hour. When he returned, the scale operator was a different commission official than his first attempt – and his announced weight went up. (A commission official confirmed his official weight will remain 147, though.) He will be fined a percentage of his purse. Arce missed weight as a bantamweight in 2022, but this fight is his debut at 145 pounds.

Alexander Hernandez

Event: UFC Fight Night 240
Date: April 6
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Featherweight
Final weight: 150
Notes: Alexander Hernandez (14-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) had a major miss for. his featherweight fight against Damon Jackson (22-6-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC). He came in at 150 pounds, a full 4 pounds over the non-title limit. Hernandez, who has dropped three of his past four fights, never had missed weight in the UFC until this instance. If the fight is approved at a catchweight, Hernandez will be fined a percentage of his purse.

Cynthia Calvillo

Event: UFC Fight Night 240
Date: April 6
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s strawweight
Final weight: 119
Notes: Cynthia Calvillo (9-6-1 MMA, 6-6-1 UFC) was 3 pounds over the non-title limit for her fight on the prelims against Piera Rodriguez (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC). Calvillo came in at 119 pounds. It was her third weight miss in the UFC, but first since 2019. If the fight is approved at a catchweight, she will be fined a percentage of her purse. She heads into the bout with five straight losses.

Melissa Mullins

Event: UFC Fight Night 240
Date: April 6
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Final weight: 138
Notes: Melissa Mullins (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was 138 pounds for her curtain jerker against Nora Cornolle (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) … who weighed in 30 seconds later, right at the deadline, and also missed weight.

Nora Cornolle

Event: UFC Fight Night 240
Date: April 6
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Final weight: 138
Notes: Nora Cornolle (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was 138.5 pounds for her curtain jerker against Melissa Mullins (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) … who weighed in 30 seconds prior and also missed weight.

James Llontop

Event: UFC on ESPN 55
Date: April 27
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Lightweight
Final weight: 156.5
Notes: Llontop (14-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was just over the mark for his UFC debut against Chris Padilla (13-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who took the fight on less than a week’s notice when Gabe Green dropped out. Llontop was fined 20 percent of his purse.

David Onama

Event: UFC on ESPN 55
Date: April 27
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Featherweight
Final weight: 148.5
Notes: Onama (11-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) was well over the featherweight limit for his fight against Jonathan Pearce (14-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and was fined 20 percent of his purse.