Did UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira miss weight for his UFC 274 title defense against Justin Gaethje?
That’s the $64,000 question that some fighters on the card and online internet sleuths, mostly from the MMA community, are trying to answer.
It started with Oliveira’s shocking underweight of 155.5 pounds at the weigh-ins, 0.5 pounds over the title weight limit of 155 pounds. Gaethje got right to the point at 155 pounds even.
Oliveira has previously tweeted that her weight is fine. During the weigh-ins, he looked confused moments after officially losing weight.
The lack of weight means that although Oliveira is still the current champion, he will be stripped of the belt before the fight and will not be eligible to win it at UFC 274. Instead, only Gaethje will win it in the event of victory.
If Oliveira wins the fight, he will be the No. 1 contender and fight for the vacant belt at a later date.
But then some fighters weighed in online, questioning the UFC 274 scale and its accuracy.
weight ✔️
weight✔️#UFC274
— Charles ‘DoBronxs’ Oliveira (@CharlesDoBronxs) May 6, 2022
I posted my weight 3 hours after stepping on the scale. The average weight recovered by UFC athletes is 10% of body weight. You may not like it, but it’s the law of the land. #for your information
— Justin Gaethje 🇺🇸 (@Justin_Gaethje) May 6, 2022
Motion for a digital scale. #UFC274
— Jon Anik (@Jon_Anik) May 6, 2022
If it is true that the scale is heavy, this cannot happen! Unfortunate turn at UFC 274!
—Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) May 6, 2022
Apparently the scale in the back said it was by weight and then the official in the front said it wasn’t. For context, we weigh ourselves twice in front of the officials before heading to the real scale, once at the hotel and once at the back of the arena. 2 scales say it is 145, official says 145.5
—Casey Oneill (@kingcaseymma) May 6, 2022
Often in the back my weight on the digital scale is different from the official scale, usually I have about a 0.5 difference between the two. You gotta feel Charles here
—Casey Oneill (@kingcaseymma) May 6, 2022
Kudos to the “genius” who messed up the fighter’s scale, leaving him with a 0.5 lb difference. We only found out when we were told on our way down to check our official weight. Luckily I was below so it didn’t hurt me.
—Ariane “Sorriso” Carnelossi (@ArianeSorrisoo) May 6, 2022
So 8 fighters were actually underweight. That does not make any sense. Never happened before. pic.twitter.com/XHXDKIp9tE
— Andrew. (@DogeDoGood) May 6, 2022
Charles Oliveira’s confused first reaction to the scale now makes sense.
DC understood this right away. #UFC274 pic.twitter.com/gNTyYvLIhg— Kevin Thang (@Skip2MyJays) May 6, 2022
The UFC is expected to issue a statement clarifying the situation, but for now officially the lack of weight holds.
This is the first time a UFC champion has lost his title on the scales.
More to come as this story develops.
