At the official weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night 231 on Friday, November 3, four fighters missed their weight on the first attempts. Subsequently, three failed to make the weight, leading to the cancellation of two fights.
One of the canceled fights was the lightweight bout between Ismael Bonfim and Vinc Pichel, which was supposed to open the main card of UFC 231. Brazilian MMA fighter Bonfim weighed in at 159.5 pounds, 3.5 pounds over the limit. His American opponent Pichel also missed the mark at 157 pounds but managed to make weight at 155.5 pounds after an extra hour.
Another fight, this time from the preliminary card, was also canceled due to missed weights. UFC debutant Victor Hugo exceeded the bantamweight limit for his bout against Daniel Marcos, weighing in at 138.5 pounds. This led to the cancellation of his promotional debut on less than three weeks’ notice.
Lastly, newcomer Eduarda Moura, with a record of 9-0 in MMA and no prior UFC experience, significantly exceeded the women's strawweight limit. Moura had been set for a promotional debut against Montserrat Conejo, who holds a record of 10-3 in MMA, with a 1-2 UFC record.
Moura, who was the biggest betting favorite on the card at -625, weighed in at 119.5 pounds, while Conejo weighed in at 114 within the two-hour window. Their fight was approved at a catchweight, and Moura will incur a 30 percent purse fine.
Main card showdown
UFC Fight Night 231, taking place on November 4 at the Ginasio Do Ibirapuera in São Paulo, marked the UFC's 39th event in Brazil and the second in 2023 after UFC 283 in Rio de Janeiro. The revised UFC Fight Night 231 card, after the cancellation of two bouts due to weight misses, features several matchups.
The main card's highlight is the showdown between Jailton Almeida and Derrick Lewis, with the potential for a significant weight difference. Almeida, boasting a 19-2 MMA record and a perfect 5-0 record in the UFC, faces two-time heavyweight title challenger Lewis, who holds a 27-11 MMA record, with 18-9 in the UFC.
Lewis weighed in at the heavyweight limit of 265 pounds, consistent with his usual weigh-in range. Notably, he weighed 256 pounds for his UFC debut in 2014, but since then, he hasn't weighed in at less than 261.5 pounds. In contrast, Almeida weighed in at 236 pounds, resulting in a potential weight difference of approximately 30 pounds between the two fighters.
Additionally, fans can look forward to Gabriel Bonfim's bout against Nicolas Dalby, Don’Tale Mayes taking on Rodrigo Nascimento, Caio Borralho facing Abus Magomedov and the clash between Armen Petrosyan and Rodolfo Vieira.
On the preliminary card, Elves Brener meets Kaynan Kruschewsky in a 165-pound contract weight contest. Rinat Fakhretdinov squares off against Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, while Modestas Bukauskas and Vitor Petrino aim to deliver an exciting bout. Denise Gomes challenges Angela Hill in a women's strawweight matchup, and finally, Conejo and Moura, who missed weight, will compete at a catchweight of 119.5 pounds.
Every UFC fighter must meet the weight limit for their respective weight class during official weigh-ins the day before the fight. Failure to do so results in several consequences, including potential purse forfeiture to their opponent.
In cases of missed weight, the fight may also be converted to a catchweight bout where both fighters agree on a new weight limit. Additionally, fighters who fail to make weight are ineligible for post-fight bonuses.
