LAS VEGAS — There may be no championship fight, but that hardly dimmed the spirits of a huge crowd that turned out to watch the UFC 137 weigh-ins at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. It appeared that every available seat was filled to watch top welterweights BJ Penn and Nick Diaz step on the scale and make their main event bout official.
The two didn’t disappoint, with UFC officials having to separate them after things nearly got physical during their staredown.
Diaz weighed in first, coming in at 170 pounds, and Penn followed at 169. That’s when the show began. Penn walked up to Diaz, the crown of his head just under Diaz’s nose. Diaz then appeared to burrow his head forward, making contact with Penn. The two then shoved each other before being quickly separated.
It was the first and only sign of animosity between the two during fight week in what has been mostly been a quiet, respectful back and forth.
After the push-apart, Diaz immediately walked off the stage and to the back.
“He’s a good opponent,” Penn said. “It’s time to fight.”
Diaz is making his return to the UFC after vacating the Strikeforce championship. He’s riding a 10-fight win streak, and he has cited Penn as one of his early influences. The two have also worked together in the past, but Friday’s actions showed the two won’t have a problem putting the past behind them and getting down to fight.
In the co-main event, Matt Mitrione will take a 21-pound advantage into his heavyweight bout with Cheick Kongo. For Mitrione, it is his biggest jump in opponent level after taking out Christian Morecraft in his last bout. Mitrione weighed 255 to Kongo’s 234.
In what may be his last bout as a fighter, Mirko Cro Cop weighed in at a trim 235 pounds for his bout with Roy Nelson. In the leadup to the fight, there has been talk about Nelson’s new conditioning program and the effects it may have on his body, but he didn’t tip his hand at weigh-ins, wearing a fat suit on the scale while registering 252 pounds. By comparison, in his last fight at UFC 130, Nelson weighed 260 pounds.
The only fighter to miss weight was Tyson Griffin, who was well off the mark, checking in at 146, three pounds over the featherweight limit. He had one hour to attempt to lose the three pounds but did not make it, dropping only one pound. He’ll be fined a percentage of his purse and face Palaszewski at a catch weight of 148 pounds.
Main Card
Nick Diaz (170) vs. B.J. Penn (169)
Cheick Kongo (234) vs. Matt Mitrione (255)
Mirko Cro Cop (235) vs. Roy Nelson (252)
Hatsu Hioki (145) vs. George Roop (145)
Scott Jorgensen (135) vs. Jeff Curran (134)
Preliminary Card
Donald Cerrone (156) vs. Dennis Siver (155)
Tyson Griffin (148)* vs. Bart Palaszewski (146)
Eliot Marshall (204) vs. Brandon Vera (205)
Danny Downes (155) vs. Ramsey Nijem (155)
Chris Camozzi (185) vs. Francis Carmont (185)
Dustin Jacoby (185) vs. Clifford Starks (186)
*Tyson Griffin made 149 on the scale, dropped another pound after weigh-ins were concluded and ultimately could not make weight, resulting in a fine of 25 percent of his purse. His fight with Palaszewski will be fought at a 148-pound catch weight.
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Heavyweight legend Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic will give himself one last chance to leave on a high note when he faces Roy “Big Country” Nelson this Saturday at 
LAS VEGAS — The outcome on Saturday might be irrelevant. To Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic, his