5 worst weigh-in misses in UFC history
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.
Khamzat Chimaev misses weight by 7.5 lbs 🤯 #UFC279 https://t.co/tVgcbGb6Ic
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.