What Happens If You Miss Weight in the UFC? | Explained
Weight cutting is one of the biggest issues in the sport of MMA.
It matters so much so that many fighters put themselves through extreme weight cuts in order to make a certain weight class.
But what happens if you miss weight in the UFC? In this page, we will explain.
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What Happens If You Miss Weight in UFC?
If a fighter misses weight in the UFC, they will have to forfeit at minimum 20% of their allotted fight purse. The fighter who missed weight and the fighter who made weight have to negotiate a deal of what percentage will be given. If they do not agree to terms, the fight can be called off, and it will be pulled off of the card.
Two Attempts to Make Weight
A fighter normally has two attempts to make weight for their fight.
If they are over the weight limit the first time, they can be granted an additional hour to lose the weight, and weigh in a final time.
Yoel Romero (186) has missed weight on his first attempt at #UFC225. He has 2 hours to make weight, but if he doesn't, he would become the first fighter in UFC history to miss weight for consecutive title fights.
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) June 8, 2018
Missing Weight in Championship Fights
For non-title fights, the fighters are granted a 1 lb allowance.
This means that if a fighter isn't fighting for a title in the Lightweight division (155 lbs), they can weigh in at 156 lbs and make the weight.
However, for championship fights, both fighters must make the exact weight on the dot in order to be eligible to fight for the belt.
Charles Oliveira Misses Weight
In recent memory, Charles Oliveira who was the current UFC Lightweight champion would face off against Justin Gaethje to defend his belt.
However, Oliveira would weigh in twice at 155.5 lbs, deeming him ineligible to fight for the belt.
Charles Oliveira missed the 155-pound limit for his lightweight title fight after receiving an additional hour to lose .5 pounds and has been stripped of his title.
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 6, 2022
The #UFC274 main event will commence, but only Justin Gaethje has the opportunity to win the UFC title. pic.twitter.com/W7tc8ZCeZk
Therefore Oliveira was stripped of his belt, but Gaethje was still eligible to win the belt.
The worst part is that Oliveira would win the fight against Gaethje, but wouldn't win the championship since he did not make the weight.
The UFC Lightweight belt then becomes vacant, and Oliveira becomes the number 1 contender.
Why Did They Have to Strip Him of the Belt?
The reason why Oliveira was stripped of the belt was in order for Gaethje to still be eligible to win the Lightweight belt.
If Oliveira wasn't stripped, the two would face off in a non-championship bout and that would have eliminated the chance for Gaethje to win the belt.
Had Gatheje won the fight, he would have been crowned the champion.
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