Fight News

It’s not as if the UFC’s problem with last-minute cancellations of high profile fights is a new thing. In 2004, one of the many scheduled bouts between Tim Sylvia and Andrei Arlovski was cancelled the night of the fight when Sylvia failed his second steroid test. The main event of UFC 24 was supposed to be Kevin Randleman vs Pedro Rizzo, until Randleman slipped backstage during the pay-per-view broadcast and hit his head, causing a concussion and nixing that fight. And who could forget the antics of New York’s own Jon “Bones” Jones, who most recently ruined his UFC 200 main event title fight against Daniel Cormier after USADA reported a positive drug test.

The “cancellation bug” reared its ugly head again this past weekend at UFC 209, where undefeated lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov (24-0) was pulled from his highly anticipated bout with Tony Ferguson (22-3), citing medical issues during his weight cut that prompted his management to bring him to the hospital for treatment. Due to reigning lightweight champ Conor McGregor’s uncertain future, the fight was scheduled to be for the largely symbolic Interim UFC Lightweight Championship which, if critiqued as a “paper championship,” at least added the intrigue of making this a five-round fight. For hardcore fans this was a dream matchup years in the making, as the pair had been scheduled to fight twice before, each having pulled out of one of the fights with an injury. Some fans were looking forward to this contest more than the main event rematch between welterweight champion Tyron Woodley and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.

This is not the only recent example of a fight being called off at the last minute due to medical concerns related to weight cutting. At the UFC’s previous pay-per-view offering, UFC 208, highly regarded flyweight Ian McCall had his bout scratched after having already made weight, citing gastrointestinal issues that prevented him from keeping food down. Hospitalized, and unable to recover his mass and strength following a 24-pound weight cut, McCall was pulled from the card at the last minute. The fighter explained in the following days that doctors were not yet certain whether the culprit was the weight cut itself, or illness.

These are not simply issues of fighters missing weight and not being able to try any harder to shed the remaining pounds. Such examples abound, such as the difficulties that top-10 UFC fighters like Kelvin Gastelum, Johny Hendricks, and John Lineker have faced, becoming so unworkable that UFC Dana White forced them to move up a weight class. These most recent instances involve fighters being hospitalized mere hours before fight time, possibly as a result of their bodily systems failing after being put through the extreme rigors of training and weight cutting.

Dana White, in typical fashion, was quick to point the finger at his favorite scapegoat – the fighter’s management. The depleted Nurmagomedov was taken to the nearby Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center. Mr. White claims that if the UFC doctor had been contacted, and if Nurmagomedov had been taken to a different hospital, the fight may have been salvaged. This all comes from the mouth of the promoter who lost money and viewership on a cancelled fight, so it is difficult to know what to make of White’s statement. Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdel-Aziz defended their decision, citing his close relationship with his fighter, his panic surrounding Nurmagomedov’s physical state (in great pain and unable to walk), and his desire to help. If Nurmagomedov was truly in such a state, then panic and precaution would be more than forgivable.

We could treat these as isolated instances. Certainly no two cases are exactly the same. But it is undeniable that weight cutting poses health risks to the fighters. Recent occurrences will no doubt reinvigorate the old discussion about how (or whether) to impose rules that restrict weight cutting. The usual suspects will be trotted out: same day weigh-ins; double weigh-ins where fighters may only cut a certain percentage of body weight; expanded or additional weight classes to give the fighters more flexibility and options to avoid drastic cuts. Such suggestions would require regulatory changes, and are of debatable value from the standpoint of fighter safety.

One hope lies in the professionalization of training, nutrition, and weight management. Former MMA fighter Mike Dolce has carved out a cottage industry in helping fighters manage and make weight. New York Fighting and Everlast podcast contributor Tony Ricci has done the same in the New York area. It may well be that before all is said and done, professional consultants such as these individuals will push the process into safer and more routine territory, and away from the dangerous practices that characterized the earlier days of MMA. Until then, fighters, fans, and promoters alike will have to reckon with the risks to fighter safety, fan entertainment, and promotional profitability that are inherent in today’s fight game.

Writer: Kyle Antonelli