May 07, (THEWILL) – After Charles Oliveira failed to make the required weight on Friday, the lightweight champion was stripped of his belt, immediately rendering UFC 274 main event a lot less attractive.
Thereafter, an official of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) determined that the lightweight title was now vacant, and only Justin Gaethje will be eligible to win it.
Oliveira’s championship was stripped after he weighed in at 155.5 pounds. He was allowed an extra hour to lose the half-pound he needed to meet the lightweight limit, but he failed to accomplish that requirement.
Oliveira had tweeted earlier in the day that he was the right weight. But, the fighter has struggled with weight loss on several occasions throughout his mixed martial arts career. Indeed, this is the fifth time since 2012 that the Brazilian star has failed to make the required weight.
Oliveira first signed with the UFC in 2010, after going a 12-bout winning streak in various promotions around the world. He became winless in his next three fights as a lightweight after winning his first two fights, losing to Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone. He also had a win overturned after authorities discovered he had hit Nik Lentz with an illegal knee.
Oliveira went down to featherweight after that three-fight span in an attempt to resurrect his career. He had some success, but in a 10-fight span from 2012 to 2016, he missed weight four times.
The most heinous occurred in November 2016, just before a bout with Ricardo Lamas. Oliveira was nine pounds over the featherweight limit at 155 pounds.
Lamas consented to continue the fight, but Oliveira was penalised 30% of his prize money. Lamas won the fight by guillotine choke submission.
Oliveira returned to lightweight after that disaster. This is his first time in this division missing the 155-pound weight limit. He won ten straight fights dating back to 2018, and at UFC 262, he fought Michael Chandler to claim the lightweight belt for the first time in his career.
In December, Oliveira successfully defended his title by defeating Dustin Poirier.
Yet, this is the first time since 2016 that a UFC fighter has failed to make weight for a title fight. That year, Anthony Pettis was found ineligible to win the interim featherweight title after weighing in at 148 pounds. In the main event of UFC 206, he lost to Max Holloway, who was granted the title.
In the female category, Nicco Montano won the inaugural women’s flyweight championship in December 2017 after defeating Roxanne Modafferi in the Ultimate Fighter finale. She was stripped of the championship nine months later due to weight-loss difficulties that led to her being admitted to the hospital.
Oliveira is the first reigning champion in UFC history to miss weight before a title fight.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
