Charles Oliveira has lost his lightweight championship on the scales after he missed weight ahead of UFC 274.
Later tonight, the Brazilian will go toe-to-toe with Justin Gaethje in one of the most eagerly-anticipated fights of the year. But in a shocking turn of events, ‘De Bronx’ won’t come out with the belt regardless of the result.
On April 6, Oliveira arrived at the weigh-in expecting to hit his target without any problems. However, his dreams were soon shattered when he registered 0.5 pounds over the 155-pound limit. Per protocol, the 32-year-old had an hour to shift the excess weight.
But when he returned to the scales, he’d failed to lose the necessary mass, meaning the second the first bell goes, the title will be declared vacant. This officially makes him the first person in the history of the company to lose their belt on the scales.
Read: UFC 274: UK start time, how to watch, how much, streams, fight card.
Charles Oliveira opens up after he misses weight
In his post-ceremonial weigh-in interview, Oliveira claimed he couldn’t understand what went wrong.
As per MMA Fighting, he said: “I made weight Thursday night. Man, we’re not here to make up stories. I swear in the name of my daughter, the most important thing in my life. I made weight on UFC’s scale on Thursday night, like I do every time. On Friday morning, we went there [to check the weight], and it was 1kg [2,2 pounds] over. I said, ‘This is crazy. I’ve not drunk or eaten anything. I have to be lower than that. You’re crazy.’ And we started this war [cutting weight again].”
He continued: “Every other fighter [said] the same thing, 300g or 500g [0.6 to 1.1 pounds] over. We saw that they even told the commission it was over, and they never told us. And still, as the champion, I dedicated to cut the weight, and there was 0.5 pounds left, which is the exact 0.5 pounds over in the scale. The champion has a name, and his name is Charles Oliveira. I came here to once again show why I’m the champion, and I’ll show it.”
The disappointing situation has taken the steam out of fight fans around the world. But one person who will undoubtedly maintain his excitement is Gaethje.
Despite the incident with the ex-champion, the American successfully made weight. Therefore, with a win, he will be officially crowned the UFC lightweight champion. But if the Brazilian emerges victorious, he will have to fight the next contender for the vacant title.
Featured Image Credit: Getty
