Charles Oliveira blames the Arizona Athletic Commission for missing weight at UFC 274.
Charles Oliveira has put the Arizona Athletic Commission on blast for his controversial weight cut at UFC 274, accusing the Commission of tampering with the scales and robbing him of the lightweight championship.
Oliveira was stripped of the belt after weighing half a pound over the 155-pound championship limit. The Brazilian went on to defeat Arizona’s Justin Gaethje in the main event but claims the Commission tried to mess with his head at the weigh-ins because they wanted their hometown hero to win.
“So, for me, they could have ripped my leg off, it would still give the same weight,” Oliveira, the now-former UFC lightweight champion, told ESPN in a recent interview. “The city athletic commission robbed me, they robbed me. That’s the reality. They wanted to take my belt off to mess with my head, but it happened the other way around. This served to show the division and the world that I am another Charles, lightweight champion. No matter how much they try to mess with my head, I am the champion.”
“The city commission robbed me, they wanted the champion to be from their city, but it didn’t even come close,” he added. “I think there was some pressure on the scale. Anyone could go up, I wouldn’t make weight.”
UFC color commentator and podcast host Joe Rogan also feels Oliveira ‘got screwed’ by the Athletic Commission, but he doesn’t think any foul play was involved.
Oliveira will return to the Octagon later this year to take on a TBA opponent for the vacant lightweight title. He is currently #4 in the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.