UFC lightweight champion, Charles “Do Bronx” Oliveira, failed to make weight ahead of his upcoming second title defense against Justin Gaethje. In an unprecedented move by the UFC, Oliveira has been stripped of his title, and will be unable to recapture UFC gold at this weekend’s main event. Only Justin Gaethje can leave the arena as lightweight champion.
The UFC wasted no time in issuing an official statement.
BREAKING: UFC Lightweight Champ Misses Weight, Stripped of Title
“Charles Oliveira missed weight for his UFC 274 main event bout against Justin Gaethje on Friday afternoon in Phoenix, weighing in at 155.5 pounds. Due to the weight miss, Oliveira will forfeit a percentage of his purse.
As of this moment, Charles Oliveira remains the UFC Lightweight Champion, but upon the start of the Main Event Headliner tomorrow night he will vacate the 155-pound title. The fight will proceed as scheduled, but the championship will only be on the line for Gaethje.”
Oliveira’s head coach, Diego Lima, opened with accusations of scale tampering. “We went to sleep on weight, we checked the weight on the scale the organization leaves for us downstairs and everything was OK.
When we checked it in the morning, [his weight] was off. We even posted last night that he had made weight because that’s what really happened. 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 keep saying it, people will think it’s an excuse, but that’s the truth. We even posted last night he made weight well. He made weight and went to bed.”
The challenger, Justin Gaethje, replied. “I posted my weight 3 hours after I stepped on the scale. Average weight gained back by athletes in the UFC is 10% of body weight. You guys might not like it but it is the law of the land.”
Gaethje also reacted to those making accusations of a faulty scale, or of scale tampering: “3/4 made championship weight. Cut the BS.”
Oliveira, meanwhile, took to Instagram to issue a statement after the controversial weigh in. “The champion has a name his name is Charles Oliveira let’s go with everything Brazilian nation God is God he never abandoned me and it won’t be now that he goes I am the CHOSEN THE ILLUMINATED”
What are your thoughts on Charles Oliveira missing weight? Let us know in the comments.
