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For a UFC event to be successful, there are a number of parameters that need to be met before the actual fight takes place. Issues from fighters not being able to travel due to visa problems, to injuries, to not making weight before the fight, could lead to a bout being canceled. Furthermore, mixed martial artists ought to be well-trained to take on their opponents standing across the cage from them.
Being well-trained manifests in a myriad of ways, ranging from how finely-tuned a fighter's skills and reactions are to their specific style of opponent and to the kind of physical shape they're in. Not only does their fitness guarantee a better chance at claiming victory, but proper fitness will ensure that fighters do not miss weight.
Alas, this is not always the case. Some fighters experience mishaps on the weigh-in scale. At UFC 279, Khamzat Chimaev lost his chance at taking part in a career-defining matchup against MMA legend Nate Diaz due to the former missing weight. Chris Barnett was another fighter on the card who missed making the weight cut. The heavyweight was the second fighter to miss weight on that card with a record-setting 267.5 lbs.
Given the chaos that engulfed last weekend's card, this list looks at five of the worst weigh-in mishaps in UFC history.
#5. Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 279
While Khamzat Chimaev is one of the largest welterweights in the world, perhaps dwarfed only by fellow undefeated phenom Shavkat Rakhmonov, no one could have predicted that 'Borz' would fail to make weight. Chimaev once successfully cut down to 170 lbs on 10 days notice. Furthermore, hardly anyone could have foreseen the involvement of doctors who not only prevented Chimaev from completing his cut, but also advised him to eat and drink fluids.
A day before the biggest fight of his career, 'Borz' stunned the MMA world by being 7.5 lbs over the welterweight limit. The Chechen star's conduct during the weigh-ins earned him no fans as he merely shrugged and smiled before claiming that his weigh-in miss wasn't "that bad" and flipping off the journalists in attendance.
With no other choice, the promotion pulled him from the UFC main event matchup with Nate Diaz before booking him to face Kevin Holland in the co-main event. While Chimaev won the bout in dominant fashion, fans will not forget this blunder at the weigh-ins.
#4. Charles Oliveira - TUF Latin America 3 Finale
Former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira was in a different place back in 2016. The Brazilian was not at the helm of a 11-fight win streak or anywhere close to a title fight. Instead, he was a featherweight with a history of failing to make weight, having failed to make the weight cut four times by then. Looking to bounce back from a submission loss to Anthony Pettis, 'do Bronx' agreed to face Ricardo Lamas.
Their bout was scheduled to take place at The Ultimate Fighter Latin America 3 finale. In his final featherweight bout, Charles Oliveira once again failed to make weight as he was 9 lbs over the featherweight limit. Worse still, Oliveira lost to Lamas due to the very same submission that Pettis used to tap him out, i.e., a guillotine choke.
On a 2-fight losing streak and clearly too big for the weight class, Oliveira had no choice but to make a lightweight return for his next bout. However, the rest is history.
#3. Kelvin Gastelum - UFC 183
Like many of the fighters on this list, Kelvin Gastelum has a history of weigh-in failures. Standing at 5'9" with a 71.5-inch reach, it is difficult to understand why. However, the former middleweight title challenger seems to struggle the most with his nutrition. Thus far, Gastelum has missed weight twice in his career, which is egregious given that his height and reach are both exceeded by many lightweights.
In 2015, Gastelum was an undefeated fighter whose in-cage tenacity drew comparisons to former heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez. With a perfect 10-0 record, Gastelum was scheduled to face Tyron Woodley at welterweight. However, jaws dropped when the now former welterweight stepped on the scales. He was 10 lbs over the welterweight limit and was forced to forfeit 30% of his fight purse.
Woodley declined to take Gastelum's money before defeating his foe by split-decision. Dana White later forced Gastelum to ply his trade at middleweight as it was his second weigh-in failure and by a margin only exceeded by one other fighter in UFC history.
#2. Anthony Johnson - UFC 142
Anthony 'Rumble' Johnson was once cut from the UFC for his weigh-in mishaps. Today, he is a fighter whose hulking frame enabled him to fight former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski in a heavyweight bout. While the second half of his career has been defined by the success he found in the light heavyweight division, where he challenged for UFC gold twice, Johnson once spent time as a welterweight.
At the time, he had missed weight twice, causing the promotion to force him to fight at middleweight. For his debut at 185 lbs, Johnson faced Vitor Belfort. Unfortunately, even his new weight class was not a large enough change. 'Rumble' missed weight by 11 lbs and was forced to surrender a large percentage of his purse to Belfort. Johnson fared poorly in the bout, losing to Belfort in the 1st round by rear-naked choke.
He was released from the promotion after the bout, but returned two years later and embarked on a memorable run at 205 lbs.
#1. Rafael Alves - UFC Fight Night 185
Only one fighter in UFC history has missed weight by more than 11 lbs. Last year, Rafael Alves was scheduled to take part in a featherweight matchup with Patrick Sabatini after his original opponent, Michael Trizano, was forced to withdraw from the bout after sustaining an ankle injury. At 20-11, Alves isn't remembered for much, although he still remains a UFC fighter.
Unfortunately, his legacy is forever tainted by the mishap that happened prior to UFC Fight Night 185. At the weigh-ins, the Brazilian stepped on the scale at 11.5 lbs over the featherweight limit. The MMA world stood in disbelief. With no other choice, the UFC pulled him from the fight card altogether. While he is still signed to the promotion, having recently suffered a loss to Drew Dober, he is unlikely to be spared a second time if he fails to make weight again.
