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Usually when one fighter misses weight, their opponent gets a chance to grab a small bump in pay and the bragging rights that come with having been the more professional party during fight week. That’s not quite the way things went down this week in Mexico City, however.
The UFC returns south of the border this Saturday, February 24th for their first event at the Arena Ciudad de México since 2019. Headlining the card will be a top-flight flyweight rematch between former champion Brandon Moreno and recent title challenger Brandon Royval. But, further down on the undercard, there’s been a little trouble with the scales.
UFC Mexico: Chairez vs. Lacerda 2 misses weight
The highlight of this weekend’s UFC action will be a pair of rematches up at the top of the card, but another pair of flyweights also have some unfinished business to settle. Or, at least they will if the promotion can get them both to the Octagon.
Edgar Chairez and Daniel Lacerda first faced off back in September of last year, at UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Grasso 2. The bout saw a solidly competitive couple of minutes before Chairez wrapped up a standing guillotine that looked to have Lacerda in a whole heap of trouble. Stuck tight and seemingly on the verge of passing out, the Brazilian was nonetheless defiant when referee Chris Tognoni made the decision to stop the bout despite no tap from Lacerda.
A quick video review in the Octagon confirmed Lacerda’s protests, that he had neither gone completely unconscious, nor submitted to the choke. And the fight was ruled an official ‘no contest.’
The UFC was set to run the whole thing back in Mexico City this Saturday, but hit something of a stumbling block when Lacerda came in at 127 lbs, one pound over the flyweight limit. To make matters even more awkward, however, Chairez weighed in just a short time later, hitting the scales at a whopping 131 lbs. No other fighters missed weight for the event.
Chairez vs. Lacerda will proceed at a catchweight
Whether Edgar Chairez was set to miss weight anyway, or whether he simply took the opportunity of his opponent’s mistake to stop what must be an absolutely brutal cut for the 5’7″ flyweight with a 72″ reach is unclear. Either way it has to be something of a relief for Daniel Lacerda, who saw a fight against Vinicius Slavador in December of 2022 scrapped due to a botched weight cut.
MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura reports that, following the double miss, the fight will go ahead as planned. A penalty will be assessed to both fighters by the UFC, although the exact figure has not yet been reporeted.
UFC Mexico City airs on ESPN+ starting at 7pm Eastern/4pm Pacific. Alongside the flyweight main event, the card will also play host to a featherweight bout between top contenders Yair Rodriguez and Brian Ortega. The two men first fought in July of 2022, with Yair claiming victory via verbal submission due to injury. This bout will be Ortega’s first fight back since the loss.
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