Charles Oliveira weighed in at 155.5 pounds, a half-pound over the lightweight limit. As a result, the championship is now considered vacant, and Saturday’s bout will be Justin Gaethje’s only opportunity to capture it. This would have been Oliveira’s second defense of the title.

Oliveira first came to the scales with five minutes remaining in the weigh-in period, looking startled as the commissioner called out his missed weight. He was given an extra hour to reduce the weight but failed again after returning.

The UFC announced that the removal of Oliveira’s belt will take place “rapidly following the conclusion of the main event headliner.”

155 pounds is the weight for Daaeethje (23-3), who trains in Denver and was a former interim champion. In 2020, he challenged undisputed champion Khabib Nurmagomedov but was unsuccessful. It became Nurmagomedov’s last fight before retiring as it turned out.

At 115 pounds, strawweight champion Rose Namajunas (11-4) and challenger Carla Esparza (18-6) both made weight. This is the rematch of the first strawweight title bout in UFC history, which Esparza won by submission in 2014. Namajunas, 29, has established herself as a two-time UFC champion with a three-fight winning streak.

Fans will be split between two main bouts and three co-main events. Both former champions will likely steal the show: Michael Chandler (22-7) and Tony Ferguson (25-6). They looked fantastic as they made weight, and both are in desperate need of a victory. Last year, after fighting valiantly to a draw with Oliveira, Chandler came close to winning the UFC title before losing a back-and-forth fight in November by unanimous decision.

In addition, former lightweight title challenger Donald Cerrone (36-16) weighed in at 155.5 pounds for a fight against fellow veteran Joe Lauzon (28-15), who hasn’t fought since last year.

The featherweights were not the only ones who missed weight. Norma Dumont also fell short, weighing in at 128 pounds, well below the lightweight limit of 135 pounds. She was fined 30% of her prize money, but her bout with Macy Chiasson is still scheduled to go ahead.

UFC Fighting Championship’s Saturday night event, UFC 274, will be held at Footprint Center in support of the MMA community of Northeastern Nevada. It will air on ESPN+ pay-per-view.

The suspensions received by fighters who attended the UFC 273 event last Saturday are well-known. Given what we witnessed in the cage, some of them will certainly surprise you. The “Korean Zombie,” for example, was suspended for just 14 days after three rounds of nonstop devastation from Volkanovsky. Volkanovsky’s ban also lasts for 14 days.

If a fracture, open wounds, or a severe knockout occurs during the bout, suspensions generally endure for a long time. That’s probably why “Zombie” got such a short suspension; he didn’t suffer either of these problems.

The lengths of other fighters’ suspensions are also known. Aljamain Sterling was handed a 30-day suspension, whereas his opponent, Petr Yan, who lost by split court decision, was given a 45-day ban. It was predicted that Gilbert Burns would be disciplined longer than Khamzat Chimaev, the winner of the fight, who received a 30-day suspension. It’s possible that the commission chose to do so in order to protect Khamzat’s broken nose from further damage.

Vinc Pichel, Ian Garry, Darian Weeks, Josh Fremd, Raquel Pennington, Mike Malott, Mickey Gall, and Aleksei Oleinik all avoided a suspension.

Mackenzie Dern, Mark Madsen, Anthony Hernandez, Jared Vanderaa, Kay Hansen, Julio Arce, and Daniel Santos also received a one-month suspension, and Aspen Ladd received the longest suspension of 45 days.

What’s even worse is that this is not the first time something like this has happened within the UWCB

All of it occurred as part of a fundraising event held to raise money for Cancer Research UK, which is committed to studying cancer. The Ultra White Collar Boxing organizers were shocked by the unsavory occurrence and quickly apologized.

The boxer who died was in his twenties, and it’s unclear yet who he was. He was rushed to the hospital following serious head injuries that were not able to be reversed. Organizers extended their sympathies with a statement of support for the family.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family of the man who tragically died at the hospital after trying to raise money for Cancer Research UK as part of the Ultra White Collar Boxing event.”

“Our thoughts are currently with his loved ones.”

Although the specifics of this event are unknown, whether the boxers are professionals or amateurs is uncertain. It’s not uncommon for fighters who can’t compete against each other on a level playing field to match out of ignorance at such tiny events, resulting in tragedy.

In 2018, an untrained young engineer entered a bout at the Ultra White Collar Boxing event to raise money for cancer research and suffered severe injuries that nearly cost him his life. It was his family who contacted the hospital after the show, stating that had it not been for this incident, the young man would have died. They subsequently called for the disbandment of the organization to ensure no one else gets harmed.

On the morning of their bout, Gilbert Burns was subjected to severe undervaluation. Despite the fact that Brazilian entered the fight as the #2-ranked welterweight challenger, and Khamzat as 11th, Chimaev was a prohibitive favorite by the bookmakers.

Those who are more familiar with MMA and Gilbert Burns were aware that Chimaev would have a difficult time. “Durinho” is well-versed in all aspects of MMA, and he’s also quite powerful. The Brazilian finally lived up to the hopes of those who believed he would put up the toughest fight of his career thus far.

Burns lost by a 29-28 score from the judges, and on all three referee cards, the result was 29-28 (2-1 in rounds for Chimaev). Burns dropped to fourth place in the challenger standings, while Chimaev moved up to third.

Despite losing, the 35-year-old Brazilian affirmed that his goal remains the same: to win the title. “Durinho” thinks he is still among the best and it is hard to disagree. He will have to work his way back up through three powerful guys as Usman, Covington, and Chimaev are in front of him at the moment. “Durinho” hopes for a chance to avenge his last defeat.

” I don’t think we’re done. I truly believe we are not done (he and Chimaev). Clearly he is advancing in the standings and they (UFC) want that to match him and Colby Covington. But I am not afraid of anyone in this category. I have proven this many times. I ask Khamzat for only one thing, and that is politeness. I was second-ranked and agreed to fight an 11-ranked fighter. I want a rematch with Khamzat. If he beats Colby, he will fight Kamaru, and I want a rematch through his next three fights. I don’t think we’re done until one guy comes to victory by a break. This fight was supposed to be in five rounds, ” Burns told TSN.

The Brazilian reportedly even pushed the idea to hold the fight for five rounds, but UFC leaders rejected the idea because they already had two title fights as part of the UFC 273 event. As for Burns’ comments, Chimaev was quick to respond.

”In five rounds, I’d take your soul. See you soon, boy” Chimaev wrote on Instagram.

It’s very probable that the paths of the two great runners will cross once more in the future, but Chimaev now faces new obstacles and must continue down his path to the top. As for Burns, fighting someone as formidable as Jorge Masvidal appears like a smart option for his next fight.

The legendary fighter from Stockton has not registered a victory since 2011

Fans of the mixed martial arts were relieved when word emerged from the UFC last year that Nick Diaz would return to the cage. After a six-and-a-half-year absence, one of the most popular fighters in the sport has returned to the cage against Robbie Lawler.

The action of the bout was good, but Nick lost technically in the third round, and opinions about it were divided. Some people believe that the two veterans put on a decent fight with plenty of excitement; others think Diaz’s release was sad, and disappointing, and believe his era has gone.

The fact that Diaz fought again after losing to Weidman was not known for a long time. Nick has been waiting since 2011 to win, and in his last four fights, he has suffered three defeats and a “no contest” against Anderson Silva.

Nick Diaz’s great rival Georges St-Pierre feels that Nick Diaz squandered his greatest fighting years and that his prime has passed. It’s easy to agree with the legendary Canadian, but it appears Nick Diaz will be back in a cage soon.

Cesar Gracie, Cesar Gracie BJJ Hall’s head coach and Nick’s trainer, announced on social media that we will be seeing Diaz in the cage once again.

“Follow Nick Diaz’s fight that will happen by the end of this year,” Gracie wrote in his Instagram post.

The question is who will Nick Diaz be paired with in the promotion. Robbie Lawler was an excellent choice, but picking a new adversary might not be easy. Many people want to see Diaz vs. someone more prominent, but those are the greatest fighters that aren’t a good idea when it comes to looking for Nick’s next opponent. The UFC will have to make a decision regarding this issue. Dana White was against the notion of ​​Diaz continuing to fight following his bout with Lawler.

”I was impressed with his return in September (ninth month). I talked to Lawler and he only had respect for Nick and the way he fought. But no matter how good Diaz looked, I don’t think he should fight anymore. He’s a grown man, he can do whatever he wants, but I don’t think he does this because he loves sports. He fights because he has to,” Dana White said at the time.

Whether Diaz should fight or not is not up to us to decide. The decision is his, as will the decision of many fans to watch his new match, regardless of whether the best days are behind him.