Scale snafus: UFC official weigh-in misses in 2024
March 29, 2024 6:45 am ET
The old adage is that the fight before the fight in MMA is the one with the scale.
Weight-cutting struggles and eventual weight misses are a regular part of the sport. Throughout 2024, we updated this story each time there was an infraction on the UFC scale – or fights that were scrapped because of issues with a fighter’s weight.
Here’s a running list that will update throughout the 2024 calendar year. Fighters listed are in chronological order of their scheduled bouts.
(List updated after UFC on ESPN 53 weigh-ins in Las Vegas on March 22, 2024.)
Manel Kape | UFC Fight Night 234
Manel Kape
Event: UFC Fight Night 234
Date: Jan. 13
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 129.5
Notes: Flyweight contender Manel Kape (19-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) came in significantly above the non-title limit for his co-main event against Matheus Nicolau (19-4-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC). They were the last two to come to the scale in the weigh-in session, but Nicolau was on target at 126 pounds. Kape initially was fined 25 percent of his purse, but ultimately the Nevada State Athletic Commission scrapped the fight.
Malcolm Gordon | UFC 297
Malcolm Gordon
Event: UFC 297
Date: Jan. 20
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 127.5
Notes: Malcolm Gordon (14-7 MMA, 2-4 UFC) was one of the final two fighters to come to the scale during the two-hour weigh-in window in Toronto, and the look on his face when the curtain was brought out said it all. Gordon was 1.5 pounds over the limit. In Ontario, fighters do get extra time – up to an hour. But that extra hour has to come in the two-hour window, and considering Gordon left the scale with only about 17 minutes left, the likelihood he was going to hit his mark was quite low. His opponent, Jimmy Flick (16-7 MMA, 1-2 UFC), made weight early in the session at 126. Gordon made no additional attempt and was fined 20 percent of his purse.
Ramon Taveras | UFC 297
Ramon Taveras
Event: UFC 297
Date: Jan. 20
Location: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto
Division: Bantamweight
Final weight: 139.5
Notes: Ramon Taveras (9-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) badly missed the mark for his UFC debut against fellow debutant Serhiy Sidey (10-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC). Tavares was 3.5 pounds over the non-title limit and was fined 30 percent of his purse.
Luana Carolina
Luana Carolina
Event: UFC Fight Night 235
Date: Feb. 3
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s flyweight
Final weight: 128
Notes: Luana Carolina (9-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) was well over the limit for her women’s flyweight bout on the prelims against Julija Stoliarenko (11-7-1 MMA, 2-5 UFC). She was 129 pounds on her first attempt, but Stoliarenko said she wouldn’t take the fight unless Carolina got to 128 – and the commission gave her an extra hour to get there to keep the fight intact. In 2021, Carolina missed weight ahead of a split decision win over Poliana Botelho. She was fined 20 percent of her purse ahead of the fight that sees her opponent as the favorite for the seventh straight time.
Ihor Potieria
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – FEBRUARY 09: Ihor Potieria of Ukraine poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night weigh-in at the JW Marriott on February 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Event: UFC Fight Night 236
Date: Feb. 10
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Middleweight
Final weight: 187.5
Notes: Ihor Potieria (20-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) took his fight against Polish UFC newcomer Robert Bryczek (17-5 MMA, 0-0 UFC) on only about a week’s notice. And making matters even more difficult, the fight is 20 pounds down from his normal light heavyweight division. Potieria looked rough enough on the scale that commission members didn’t offer him the opportunity to cut additional weight and asked him to start rehydrating shortly after he left the scale. He will be fined 20 percent of his purse.
Daniel Lacerda
Daniel Lacerda
Event: UFC Fight Night 237
Date: Feb. 24
Location: Mexico City Arena
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 127
Notes: Daniel Lacerda (11-5 MMA, 0-4 UFC) came to the scale reasonably early in the two-hour weigh-in window in Mexico City, and he was off by a pound at 127. He elected to stop cutting weight rather than take the extra time typically allotted. Maybe he had some insight that his opponent, Edgar Chairez (10-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC), was going to come in significantly above the flyweight limit (see below), so he decided to save the effort. In 2022, Lacerda came in at 129 pounds for a fight against Vinicius Salvador, and that bout was canceled because of his miss.
Edgar Chairez
Edgar Chairez
Event: UFC Fight Night 237
Date: Feb. 24
Location: Mexico City Arena
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 127
Notes: Like his opponent, Daniel Lacerda (11-5 MMA, 0-4 UFC) (see above), Edgar Chairez (10-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC) came in over the limit for flyweight. But unlike Lacerda, he missed by a bunch. Chairez was 131 pounds for his rematch with Lacerda. Because Lacerda was 127 himself, it’s likely the bout will be reworked at a catchweight.
CJ Vergara
CJ Vergara
Event: UFC 299
Date: March 9
Location: Kaseya Center
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 127
Notes: CJ Vergara (12-4-1 MMA, 3-2 UFC) missed the flyweight limit for the third time in six fights. His opponent, Asu Almabaev (18-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC), will get a percentage of his purse. In Florida. Vergara had to weigh in within the first hour. He did so. The miss gave him an additional extra hour, but he stayed over at 127. He missed weight by 1.4 pounds in 2021 and lost a decision to Ode Osbourne. He missed again less than a year later, but by 3 pounds, and was submitted by Tarsuro Taira.
Natan Levy
Natan Levy
Event: UFC Fight Night 239
Date: March 16
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Lightweight
Final weight: 156.5
Notes: Natan Levy (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) came to the scale in briefs and a chain around his neck. He took both off and still was 156.5 pounds less than an hour into the weigh-in window. He was not medically cleared to cut additional weight and was fined 20 percent of his purse for his bout against Mike Davis (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) to close out the preliminary card.
Chelsea Chandler
Chelsea Chandler
Event: UFC Fight Night 239
Date: March 16
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Final weight: 137
Notes: Chelsea Chandler (5-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was a pound over the women’s bantamweight limit at 137 for her bout on the prelims. She was not medically cleared to cut additional weight and was fined 20 percent of her purse for her bout against Josiane Nunes (10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC).
Danny Silva
Danny Silva
Event: UFC Fight Night 239
Date: March 16
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Final weight: 137
Notes: Danny Silva (8-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was off by 2.5 pounds at 148.5 for his featherweight prelim. He was not medically cleared to cut additional weight and was fined 20 percent of his purse for his bout against Josh Culibao (11-2-1 MMA, 3-2-1 UFC).
2024 UFC weight misses by division
Women’s strawweight: TBD
Women’s flyweight (1): Luana Carolina (UFC FN 235)
Women’s bantamweight (1): Chelsea Chandler (UFC FN 239)
Women’s featherweight: TBD
Flyweight (5): Manel Kape (UFC FN 234), Malcolm Gordon (UFC 297), Daniel Lacerda (UFC FN 237), Edgar Chairez (UFC FN 237), CJ Vergara (UFC 299)
Bantamweight (1): Ramon Taveras (UFC 297)
Featherweight (1): Danny Silva (UFC FN 239)
Lightweight (1): Natan Levy (UFC FN 239)
Welterweight: TBD
Middleweight (1): Ihor Potieria (UFC FN 236)
Light heavyweight: TBD
Heavyweight: TBD
2023 weigh-in misses
All-time weigh-in session flubs
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