(Props: UFC on YouTube)
UFC on FOX 12 weigh-ins went down earlier today in San Jose, and no, they did not proceed without incident. Most notably, Matt Brown came in way heavy on his first attempt, tipping the scales at 172.5 pounds for his welterweight headliner against Robbie Lawler. Usually, a fighter in his position would grit his teeth and go back to the sauna for an hour. But due to a weird miscommunication, that didn’t happen. FOX Sports’s Marc Raimondi has the report:
[After missing weight], Brown was advised by a commission doctor that he should not continue to cut weight. By rule, a fighter has another hour to try to make weight. Brown thought the doctor was telling him he would not be allowed to weigh in again, according to CSAC executive officer Andy Foster.
“There’s a difference between advisement from a doctor and a directive by a doctor,” Foster told FOX Sports.
When a fighter misses weight in California, he or she must forfeit 20 percent of his or her purse, 10 percent to the commission and 10 percent to the opponent. After a discussion between the UFC and commission officials, the CSAC decided not to fine Brown.
“We were just looking after his health and safety, but I was going to let him on [the scale again],” Foster said. “I was going to give him his time. Chalk it up to miscommunication.”
Foster said he spoke to Brown and his cornermen about three minutes after Brown weighed in. Foster said he asked Brown whether or not he would be making a second attempt.
“He said, ‘I’ll take the fine,’” Foster said. “His corner told me he’d take the fine. I’m going to chalk that up to a miscommunication as him thinking we told him absolutely not. Maybe a miscommunication error. But he did tell me he would take the fine.”
Foster said it’s understandable Brown could have misinterpreted the doctor’s words and the commission will look to remedy this potential problem in the future.
“I get it,” Foster said. “He’s been cutting, he’s foggy. And we’ll certainly learn from this experience and be very clear following this.”
And so, Brown will not be fined, and he’s still eligible for post-fight bonuses. Following the weigh-in debacle, Sean Shelby played a little prank on Dana White, telling the UFC president that Robbie Lawler was refusing to go through with the fight. Hilarity ensued.
Also blowing weight today was strawweight fighter Juliana Lima, who came in at 116.5 pounds on her second attempt, and will be fined 20% of her purse. Lima’s post-weigh-in face-off with Joanna Jedrzejczyk was one of the most epicly uncomfortable moments in recent UFC history:
Full UFC on FOX 12 weigh-in results are below.
Robbie Lawler (171) vs. Matt Brown (*172.5)
Anthony Johnson (204.5) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (205.5)
Clay Guida (145) vs. Dennis Bermudez (146)
Josh Thomson (155) vs. Bobby Green (155.5)
Jorge Masvidal (155.5) vs. Daron Cruickshank (155.5)
Kyle Kingsbury (204.5) vs. Patrick Cummins (206)
Tim Means (170.5) vs. Hernani Perpetuo (171)
Mike de la Torre (146) vs. Brian Ortega (145.5)
Tiago dos Santos e Silva (155) vs. Akbarh Arreola (155.5)
Steven Siler (146) vs. Noad Lahat (145)
Gilbert Burns (170) vs. Andreas Stahl (171)
Joanna Jedrzejczyk (115) vs. Juliana de Lima Carneiro (**116.5)