Weight cutting has affected many fighters since the inception of the UFC. There have been multiple instances over the last few years where fighters have become ill to the point where they need to be hospitalized. This is nothing new to the MMA world, as weight cutting is a part of the sport and something many athletes undergo. However, in the last month, three featured fights have had to be cancelled or altered because of the athletes missing weight. Is it just a coincidence, or is there something in the water?
Bryan Battle:
Bryan Battle was making headway in the UFC before his eventual release. Battle was seen as a high-level prospect who could one day contend for a belt. He was 7-1-1 in the UFC and was becoming beloved by many UFC fans. His time in the UFC would come to an unfortunate close, though, as he missed weight in back-to-back fights across multiple divisions. The UFC is strict on its weight policy. You must make weight and prove you can do it consistently to compete in the company. After multiple weight misses in a row, Dana White decided to cut Battle from the promotion. Battle was not just missing weight by half a pound, either. He missed weight heading into UFC 320 by 4 pounds. This does not sound like much, but it is massive. It could be the difference between moving up a complete weight class. The UFC does not take missing weight lightly, and fighters will be penalized if they fail to make their required weight.
Brian Ortega:
On August 24th, Brian Ortega had a horrible weight cut that altered his fight against Aljamain Sterling. This was the co-main event of the card, with title implications attached to the battle. The fight was moved to a 153-pound catchweight bout due to the 8-pound weight miss by Ortega. Ortega has struggled to make 145 pounds in the past, as he is already large for the division. This case was different, though. Ortega looked extremely drained and malnourished, and you could tell by just watching. This ultimately affected how the fight transpired, as Ortega did not look like himself, and something was definitely off. This came just days after the release of Bryan Battle for his weight cutting issues. This hopefully is a wake up call to Ortega that he cannot fight at 145 pounds anymore. It is too dangerous on his body and he is putting himself at serious risk.
Patricio Pitbull vs. Losene Keita:
Patricio Pitbull vs Losene Keita was scheduled for this upcoming fight night in Paris, France. Pitbull is a former Bellator champion who reigned supreme for many years in the company. He came to the UFC in April of 2025 and since then is 1-1 in his time in the company. His third fight this year was set to be against Losene Keita. Keita missed weight and the fight was subsequently cancelled. Keita missed weight by three pounds which is way over the 146 pound limit in the featherweight division for a non title fight. Pitbull expressed his frustrations online calling out Keita for missing weight. It is frustrating for fighters to train for months on end to just to have their fight cancelled the day before.
This is now the third week in a row where a fight on the main card was severely affected due to a fighter missing weight. This could just be a coincidence but it raises questions surround weight cutting issues for the athletes. Is weight bullying becoming too dangerous? Should UFC make fighters compete at their natural weight? A lot of questions and not many answers. If this continues, Dana White may have to have conversations about the way the weight cutting rules affect all fighters and see if changes need to be made.
