Scale snafus: UFC official weigh-in misses in 2024

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Event: UFC Fight Night 239
Date: March 16
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Featherweight
Final weight: 148.5
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).

Julio Arce

Event: UFC on ESPN 54
Date: March 30
Location: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, N.J.
Division: Featherweight
Final weight: 147.5
Notes: Julio Arce (18-6 MMA, 5-4 UFC) missed weight for his featherweight fight against Herbert Burns (11-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC). Strangely, Arce’s weight was announced as 147 on his first attempt, and he was given an additional hour. When he returned, the scale operator was a different commission official than his first attempt – and his announced weight went up. (A commission official confirmed his official weight will remain 147, though.) He will be fined a percentage of his purse. Arce missed weight as a bantamweight in 2022, but this fight is his debut at 145 pounds.

Alexander Hernandez

Event: UFC Fight Night 240
Date: April 6
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Featherweight
Final weight: 150
Notes: Alexander Hernandez (14-7 MMA, 6-6 UFC) had a major miss for. his featherweight fight against Damon Jackson (22-6-1 MMA, 5-4-1 UFC). He came in at 150 pounds, a full 4 pounds over the non-title limit. Hernandez, who has dropped three of his past four fights, never had missed weight in the UFC until this instance. If the fight is approved at a catchweight, Hernandez will be fined a percentage of his purse.

Cynthia Calvillo

Event: UFC Fight Night 240
Date: April 6
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s strawweight
Final weight: 119
Notes: Cynthia Calvillo (9-6-1 MMA, 6-6-1 UFC) was 3 pounds over the non-title limit for her fight on the prelims against Piera Rodriguez (9-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC). Calvillo came in at 119 pounds. It was her third weight miss in the UFC, but first since 2019. If the fight is approved at a catchweight, she will be fined a percentage of her purse. She heads into the bout with five straight losses.

Melissa Mullins

Event: UFC Fight Night 240
Date: April 6
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Final weight: 138
Notes: Melissa Mullins (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was 138 pounds for her curtain jerker against Nora Cornolle (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) … who weighed in 30 seconds later, right at the deadline, and also missed weight.

Nora Cornolle

Event: UFC Fight Night 240
Date: April 6
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Final weight: 138
Notes: Nora Cornolle (7-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was 138.5 pounds for her curtain jerker against Melissa Mullins (6-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) … who weighed in 30 seconds prior and also missed weight.

James Llontop

Event: UFC on ESPN 55
Date: April 27
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Lightweight
Final weight: 156.5
Notes: Llontop (14-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) was just over the mark for his UFC debut against Chris Padilla (13-6 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who took the fight on less than a week’s notice when Gabe Green dropped out. Llontop was fined 20 percent of his purse.

David Onama

Event: UFC on ESPN 55
Date: April 27
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Featherweight
Final weight: 148.5
Notes: Onama (11-2 MMA, 3-2 UFC) was well over the featherweight limit for his fight against Jonathan Pearce (14-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and was fined 20 percent of his purse.

Jared Gooden, UFC on ESPN 52 (file photo)

Event: UFC on ESPN 56
Date: May 11
Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis
Division: Welterweight
Final weight: Did not weight in
Notes: Gooden (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC), who has missed weight twice in two separate stints in the UFC, had medical issues during his weight cut, it was announced by the UFC, and had his fight against Kevin Jousset (10-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC) pulled before he ever came to the scale.

Andre Lima

Event: UFC 302
Date: June 1
Location: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 130
Notes: Lima (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was over by four pounds for his curtain jerker against UFC newcomer Mitch Raposo (9-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who took the fight on short notice and was 125 pounds on the nose. Lima was fined 30 percent of his purse.

Eduarda Moura

Event: UFC on ESPN 57
Date: June 8
Location: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Ky.
Division: Women’s strawweight
Final weight: 116.5
Notes: Eduarda Moura (10-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) was a half-pound over for her women’s strawweight fight against Denise Gomes (8-3 MMA, 2-2 UFC), who was 116. Moura was fined 20 percent of her purse. She now has missed weight for both her fights in the UFC after making weight on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Tagir Ulanbekov

Event: UFC on ESPN 58
Date: June 15
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 129.5
Notes: Tagir Ulanbekov (15-2 MMA, 4-1 UFC) was 3.5 pounds over for his fight against Joshua Van (10-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) to close out the prelims. Ulanbekov doesn’t have any prior weight misses in the UFC, though he has pulled out of six fights in the promotion in four years for various reasons. This weight miss led to the fight vs. Van getting the axe.

Jean Silva

Event: UFC 303
Date: June 29
Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Division: Featherweight
Final weight: 147.5
Notes: Jean Silva weighed 1.5 pounds over the featherweight non-title limit and was fined 20 percent of his purse. It was the first weight miss of his career. It also cost him a $50,000 bonus since he was ineligible – and all the other finishes on the card got bonuses.

Jake Hadley, UFC on ESPN 50

Event: UFC 304
Date: July 27
Location: Co-op Live, Manchester, England
Division: Bantamweight
Final weight: 137
Notes: No good deed goes unpunished for Jake Hadley (10-3 MMA, 2-3 UFC). He took his fight against Caolan Loughran (9-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) on about a week’s notice. And because of a fluke in the broadcast schedule, the official weigh-ins were super close in time to the ceremonials. Rather than getting an hour to cut the additional weight, Hadley instead is stuck at 137 pounds and will be fined 20 percent of his purse.

Chelsea Chandler

Event: UFC on ESPN 61
Date: Aug. 10
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Final weight: 141
Notes: Chelsea Chandler (6-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) was significantly over the women’s bantamweight limit for her fight against Yana Santos (14-8 MMA, 4-5 UFC) on the main card. Chandler was 141 pounds; Santos made weight without issue at 135.5. Chandler is a former featherweight who also missed the mark in March for her first fight at bantamweight. If the fight goes on, Chandler will forfeit a percentage of her purse to Santos.

Danny Barlow

Event: UFC on ESPN 61
Date: Aug. 10
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Welterweight
Final weight: 171.25
Notes: Danny Barlow (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) weighed in early for his fight against Nikolay Veretennikov (12-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and was just a quarter-pound over at 171.25. Even though he had an extra hour to make a second attempt, he stopped there and will be fined a percentage of his purse.

Chepe Mariscal

Event: UFC on ESPN 61
Date: Aug. 10
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Featherweight
Final weight: 149.5
Notes: Chepe Mariscal (16-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC) was well over the featherweight limit for the co-main event against Damon Jackson (23-6-1 MMA, 6-4-1 UFC). At the first event with new weigh-in rules in Nevada that require fighters to weigh in during the first hour, Mariscal came early for his miss. But also in the new rules, he’s not allowed to lose more than 2 pounds after his initial weigh-in. He’ll forfeit a percentage of his purse to Jackson.

Jesus Aguilar

Event: UFC 305
Date: Aug. 17
Location: RAC Arena, Perth, Australia
Division: Flyweight
Final weight: 127.5
Notes: Aguilar (10-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) came in. heavy for his flyweight curtain jerker against promotional newcomer Stewart Nicoll (8-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) and was fined 20 percent of his purse.

Kyle Nelson

Event: UFC Fight Night 242
Date: Sept. 7
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Featherweight
Final weight: 148.5
Notes: Nelson (16-5-1 MMA, 4-4-1 UFC) came in heavy for his main card fight against Steve Garcia (16-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC), who hit his mark without issue. Nelson will be fined a percentage of his purse.

Dylan Budka

Event: UFC Fight Night 242
Date: Sept. 7
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Middleweight
Final weight: 188.5
Notes: Budka (7-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) looked in bad shape when he got on the scale. He was visibly shaking and needed help getting off and leaving the stage without falling. His opponent, Andre Petroski (11-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC), made weight without issue. The commission approved the fight to go on, and Budka was fined 20 percent of his purse.

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY – JUNE 01: Ailin Perez of Argentina celebrates defeating Joselyne Edwards of Panama in their bantamweight bout during UFC 302 at Prudential Center on June 01, 2024 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images)

Event: UFC Fight Night 243
Date: Sept.28
Location: Accor Arena, Paris
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Final weight: 136.5
Notes: Perez (10-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) was over by a half-pound for her fight against Darya Zheleznyakova (9-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC). She was fined 20 percent of her purse for the first weigh-in miss of her UFC career.

Josh Fremd

Event: UFC Fight Night 244
Date: Oct. 12
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Middleweight
Final weight: 189
Notes: Josh Fremd (11-6 MMA, 2-4 UFC) had a bad miss for his main card opener against Abdul Razak Alhassan (12-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) and came in at 189 pounds. Coincidentally, he was trying to snap a two-fight skid – and his most recent win was a fight he missed weight for, also at 189 pounds. But  the commission scrapped the fight after his miss.

Jared Gooden

Event: UFC Fight Night 244
Date: Oct. 12
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Welterweight
Final weight: 172.5
Notes: Jared Gooden (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) was off the mark again for a fight on the main card against Chidi Njokuani (23-10 MMA, 3-3 UFC) – who has struggled on the scale in the past, but seemed fine Friday. Gooden, however, missed weight for the third time in his past four UFC fights. He was fined 20 percent of his purse.

Dan Argueta

Event: UFC Fight Night 244
Date: Oct. 12
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Bantamweight
Final weight: 172.5
Notes: Dan Argueta (9-2 MMA, 1-2 UFC) missed the mark for his fight against Cody Haddon (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who is making his UFC debut. Argueta was fined 20 percent of his purse.

Joselyn Edwards

Event: UFC Fight Night 245
Date: Oct. 19
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Final weight: 139
Notes: Joselyne Edwards (13-6 MMA, 4-4 UFC) missed weight for the third time in five fights when she came in at 139.5 pounds for her fight against Tamires Vidal (7-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC). She returned about 20 minutes later and was 139 officially. Edwards was fined 25 percent of her purse.

Zach Scroggin

Event: UFC Fight Night 247
Date: Nov. 9
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Welterweight
Final weight: 174
Notes: Scroggin (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) took his fight against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (24-8-1 MMA, 10-4-1 UFC) on just a few days’ notice – and ran into an all-too-common occurrence for short-notice first-time UFC fighters. He missed the welterweight limit and will be fined a percentage of his purse in his promotional debut.

Melissa Mullins

Event: UFC Fight Night 247
Date: Nov. 9
Location: UFC Apex, Las Vegas
Division: Women’s bantamweight
Final weight: 137
Notes: Mullins (6-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was off by a pound for her card-opener against newcomer Klaudia Sygula (6-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC). If she is not allowed a further cut and her miss holds, it will be her second this year. She also missed the mark at UFC Fight Night 240 against an opponent who also missed weight.

James Llontop

Event: UFC 309
Date: Nov. 16
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York
Division: 165-pound catchweight
Final weight: 166.2
Notes: James Llontop (14-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) took his fight with Mauricio Ruffy (10-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) on short notice when lightweight Charlie Campbell pulled out. The fight was set for 165 pounds at a catchweight to accommodate that, but Llontop missed that limit on the scale by 1.2 pounds and was fined 20 percent of his purse.

Women’s flyweight (1): Luana Carolina (UFC FN 235)

Women’s bantamweight (5): Chelsea Chandler (UFC FN 239), Melissa Mullins (UFC FN 240),  Nora Cornolle (UFC FN 240), Chelsea Chandler (UFC on ESPN 61), Ailin Perez (UFC FN 243), Joselyn Edwards (UFC FN 245), Melissa Mullins (UFC FN 247)

Women’s featherweight: TBD

Flyweight (8): Manel Kape (UFC FN 234), Malcolm Gordon (UFC 297), Daniel Lacerda (UFC FN 237), Edgar Chairez (UFC FN 237), CJ Vergara (UFC 299), Andre Lima (UFC 302), Tagir Ulanbekov (UFC on ESPN 58), Jesus Aguilar (UFC 305)

Bantamweight (2): Ramon Taveras (UFC 297), Jake Hadley (UFC 304), Dan Argueta (UFC FN 244)

Featherweight (7): Danny Silva (UFC FN 239), Julio Arce (UFC on ESPN 54), Alexander Hernandez (UFC FN 240), David Onama (UFC on ESPN 55), Jean Silva (UFC 303), Chepe Mariscal (UFC on ESPN 61), Kyle Nelson (UFC FN 42)

Lightweight (2): Natan Levy (UFC FN 239), James Llontop (UFC on ESPN 55)

Welterweight (2): Jared Gooden (UFC on ESPN 56), Danny Barlow (UFC on ESPN 61), Jared Gooden (UFC FN 244), Zach Scroggin (UFC FN 247)

Middleweight (2): Ihor Potieria (UFC FN 236), Kyle Budka (UFC FN 242), Josh Fremd (UFC FN 244)

Light heavyweight: TBD

Heavyweight: TBD

Catchweight: James Llontop (UFC 309)