Dana White may have a fix for the UFC’s scale inaccuracy controversy.
This past weekend UFC 274 was held and it would be false to say the event went off without a hitch. During the official weigh-ins for the event, then-lightweight champion Charles Oliveira missed weight for his scheduled title defense against Justin Gaethje. Due to the miss, Oliveira was stripped of his title and the lightweight division is now without a champion at the helm.
Following the weight-ins, several fighters on the card came to Oliveira’s defense saying they believe the scale was inaccurate.
The UFC has been using a traditional boxing scale aka a mechanical scale for many years, although today’s digital scales may be more accurate. However, UFC President Dana White is placing blame on tampering with the scale, not the scale itself.
White spoke after UFC 274 about how the scale is left out overnight and that fighters touching the official scale is what leads to the inexactness at weight ins. White is leading a possible solution to this problem.
“It’s a nightmare. We were just talking about it in the back there,” White explained. “We have this issue where guys come out and they’ll start checking the scale the night before. And all the Europeans and guys from other parts of the world do kilos. So they all start fuckin’ with the scale to look at kilos and who knows?
“There’s so many moving parts to this beast of a machine that we run every week. We gotta have a security guard in there where the scale is now. It’s something we’re gonna have to do.”
Following the weigh-in, The Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission, released a statement via MMA Fighting about the scale in question. They said, “any scales used for any purpose other than official weigh-ins (such as those that may be used for fighters to unofficially test their weight) are not calibrated or inspected by commission staff as they are typically provided by the promoter.”
Due to his missed weight, Oliveira’s win at UFC 274 was not for the title but has secured him as the next man to fight for that belt. Who he fights next is unclear at this time.
What do you think of Dana White’s “solution” for inaccurate scales at weight-ins?
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