The UFC 274 event was marred by controversy when Charles Oliveira became the first UFC fighter to be stripped of a title after missing weight for a title fight. He came in 0.5 pounds over the limit Friday for his clash with Justin Gaethje in Phoenix. This incident sparked a wave of debate and accusations, with many pointing fingers at a potentially faulty hotel scale.
Here's a breakdown of the events and the ensuing fallout:
The Weigh-In Debacle
On Friday morning, Oliveira weighed in at 155.5 pounds, 0.5 pounds over the championship limit. He was given an extra hour to try and make weight, but his weight was the same on his second attempt. This resulted in him being stripped of the title.
The UFC released a statement confirming Oliveira would forfeit a percentage of his purse after weighing in at 155.5 pounds.
“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 statement read.
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“The fight will proceed as scheduled, but the championship will only be on the line for Gaethje.
The Hotel Scale Controversy
Moments after Oliveira missed weight, fellow UFC 274 fighter Ariane Carnelossi claimed that the hotel scale had been reset overnight. A UFC official allegedly reached out to all teams informing them that the scale was not showing the same weight as before.
Multiple sources stated that the weight differential varied from 0.5 to two pounds. Norma Dumont, who ultimately missed by 0.5 pounds for her featherweight bout with Macy Chiasson, said the scale showed she was three pounds over the limit on Thursday night, but 150 pounds on Friday. Another person said the scale was “messed up.”
Speaking to Brazilian news outlet Combate in Phoenix, Oliveira’s head coach Diego Lima also complained about the hotel scale.
“We went to sleep on weight, we checked the weight on the scale the organization leaves for us downstairs and everything was OK,” Lima said. “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.
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“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.”
Despite the wide complaints, there was nothing the Vice President of Regulatory Affairs of the UFC, Marc Ratner could do and they went ahead with stripping Oliveira of the title.
Reactions and Opinions
Gaethje reacted to the claims on social media, saying “cut the BS” after Rose Namajunas, Carla Esparza, and he all “made championship weight” for UFC 274.
Charles Oliveira is not happy with the UFC stripping him of his lightweight title in 2022.
"What the UFC did was straight up disrespectful," Oliveira said on the "JAXXON PODCAST" through an interpreter. "I always like to make weight on Thursday, the night before. So I already had the confidence, I already checked the weight, I was already on weight, but I was already hearing rumors around - not just by me, but the other fights around that the scale was calibrated."
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Social media sensation Jake Paul chimed in too, writing: “Charles Oliveira is losing his title because of a scale that is being questioned? Maybe consider a digital scale for championship fights.
No. 5-ranked UFC welterweight Belal Muhammad tweeted: “Conor (McGregor) probably sabotaged the scales he’s the only one that benefited from this.
The Arizona Boxing & Mixed Martial Arts Commission issued a statement regarding their involvement.
“Promoters are allowed to use the scale of their choice for official weigh-ins, as long as it has been deemed appropriately calibrated by Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission Staff,” A commission spokesman told MMA Fighting on Friday evening. “Staff reviewed the official weigh-in scale to ensure proper calibration and found no issues prior to and during the official weigh-in. Any scales used for any purpose other than official weigh-ins (such as those that may be used for fighters to unofficially test their weight) are not calibrated or inspected by Commission Staff as they are typically provided by the Promoter, not the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission.”
Oliveira's History of Weight Issues
‘Do Bronx’ first missed weight in 2012, prior to his featherweight fight against Cub Swanson, resulting in the fight being changed to catchweight.
Just two years later, Oliveira was removed from his scheduled fight against Nick Lentz after missing weight and subsequently falling ill.
Later that year, he was matched up against Jeremy Stephens and once again missed the 146lb featherweight limit.
Then in 2015, Oliveira weighed in at 150.5lbs for his featherweight fight against Myles Jury, before missing weight by the biggest margin of his career just a year later against Ricardo Lamas.
The Aftermath
After such a controversial build-up to the fight, ‘Do Bronx’ once again came into the UFC Octagon with a chip on his shoulder, and went on to put on a masterful performance once again, finishing Gaethje in the first round.
“Hey, there’s something missing here, the champion has a name and it’s Charles Oliveira from the Bronx,” Oliveira said after the fight.
The fight is still on, but if Oliveira bests “The Highlight,” the lightweight strap will still be vacant. On the other end, if Gaethje defeats the Brazilian, he’ll be crowned the 155-pound king.
In conclusion, the Charles Oliveira weigh-in controversy at UFC 274 remains a contentious topic, with lingering questions about the accuracy of the scales and the fairness of the situation. The incident has sparked debate about the use of digital scales and the need for greater transparency in weigh-in procedures.
Here's a table summarizing Oliveira's weight misses throughout his career:
| Year | Opponent | Weight Class | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Cub Swanson | Featherweight | Missed weight |
| 2014 | Nick Lentz | Featherweight | Missed weight |
| 2014 | Jeremy Stephens | Featherweight | Missed weight |
| 2015 | Myles Jury | Featherweight | Missed weight |
| 2016 | Ricardo Lamas | Featherweight | Missed weight |
| 2022 | Justin Gaethje | Lightweight | Missed weight |