Several UFC 274 fighters have reportedly come out to suggest there was some tampering with the event’s official weigh-ins.
TV Globo’s Evy Rodrigues took to Twitter to report that several fighters are suggesting that the official weight check scale, that is available to fighters during the week to check their weight, was one pound off from the official scale.
It was added that someone tried to change the scale from pounds to kilograms during the week, and de-calibrated the scale as a result. This certainly would have impacted the card tremendously if proven true. As noted, the biggest story out of weigh-ins was Charles Oliveria’s weight miss.
Oliveira was scheduled to defend his featherweight title against Justin Gaethje in the main event. However, Oliveira weighed-in half a pound over championship weight. As a result, Oliveira has been forced to vacate the title. The fight will go on as planned, however, Oliveira is not eligible to win the title, while Gaethje is.
Only one other fighter on the card missed weight as well. That being Norma Dumont, who also weighed in half a pound over the women’s featherweight limit at 146.5. UFC women’s strawweight competitor Ariane Carnelossi took to Twitter as well to chime in on the scale controversy.
Carnelossi claims that fighters were informed the scale would be half a pound off right before making their weigh downstairs for the weigh ins. Carnelossi ended up making weight.
“Congrats to the “genius” that messed with the fighter’s scale leaving it with a 0.5lb difference. We only found out when we were informed as we were coming down to check our official Weight. Luckly I was under so that didnt hurt me.”
UFC 274 goes down live on pay-per-view (PPV) tonight (Sat. May 7, 2022) from the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.