What's Happening?
At the official weigh-ins for UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, two fighters failed to make weight, impacting their respective undercard bouts. Jose Miguel Delgado weighed in at 147 pounds, one pound over the featherweight limit for his fight against Nathaniel Wood.
Azat Maksum missed the flyweight limit by three pounds, weighing in at 129 pounds for his bout against Mitch Raposo. As a result, Maksum will forfeit 30% of his fight purse. The main card fighters, including Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane, successfully made weight for their heavyweight championship fight, as did Virna Jandiroba and Mackenzie Dern for the strawweight title bout. The event is set to take place at Etihad Arena, with the main card starting at 2 p.m. ET.
Why It's Important?
Missing weight can have significant implications for fighters, affecting their financial earnings and potentially their performance. For Azat Maksum, forfeiting 30% of his purse is a substantial financial penalty. Additionally, missing weight can impact a fighter's reputation and future opportunities within the UFC. The successful weigh-ins for the main card fighters ensure that the headline bouts will proceed as planned, maintaining the event's draw for fans and broadcasters. This situation highlights the challenges fighters face in managing weight cuts and the importance of adhering to weight class limits in professional mixed martial arts.
