Charles Oliveira became the first UFC fighter to be stripped of a title after missing weight for a title fight when he came in 0. 5 pounds over the limit Friday for his UFC 274 clash with Justin Gaethje in Phoenix — and his team believes the hotel scale is at fault.
Moments after Oliveira missed weight for what would be his second title defense, fellow UFC 274 fighter Ariane Carnelossi reached out to MMA Fighting to claim that the hotel scale had been reset overnight. According to UFC officials, a UFC official reached out and informed all the teams that their scales were not showing the exact same weight.
Multiple sources were present in Phoenix to witness the event. They stated that there was a weight difference of 0. 5 to two pounds.
Carnelossi made weight on Friday. Norma Dumont, who ultimately missed by 0. 5 pounds for her featherweight bout with Macy Chiasson, said the scale showed she was three pounds over the limit on Thursday night, but 150 pounds on Friday. Another person said the scale was “messed up.”
The UFC and the Arizona Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts Commission did not immediately respond to MMA Fighting’s request for comment.
On Thursday night, Oliveira and his team posted on social media that he had already made weight for UFC 274. Oliveira tweeted that he was ready for Friday’s weigh-ins. However, “do Bronx” was the last fighter to weigh during Friday’s initial two-hour weigh-in window, coming in at 155. 5 pounds. Although he was allowed to attempt to gain weight for an additional hour, his results were the same as his first attempt.
Speaking to Brazilian news outlet Combate in Phoenix, Oliveira’s head coach Diego Lima also complained about the hotel scale.
“We went to sleep on weight, we checked the weight on the scale the organization leaves for us downstairs and everything was OK,” Lima said. It was correct when we checked in the morning. Because he did gain weight, we even wrote last night. You’re witnesses of this, Charles has never missed weight since he moved up to 155. Even when there was no belt [on the line], he was under the limit, he didn’t use the pound allowance.
” If I continue to repeat it, people might think that it is an excuse. But it is the truth. He even went to bed last night after gaining weight. He gained weight and went to sleep .”
Gaethje reacted to the claims on social media, saying “cut the BS” after Rose Namajunas, Carla Esparza, and he all “made championship weight” for UFC 274.
3/4 made championship weight. Reduce the BS.
— Justin Gaethje (@Justin_Gaethje) May 6, 2022
Damon Martin and Mike Heck contributed to this report.
