UFC 316 is likely to be down a fight after Ariane Lipski Da Silva missed weight farcically for her fight with Wang Cong by a huge amount.
The bout was due to see Cong, who is infamous for her ‘Joker’ gimmick, make her debut in America after a 2-1 start to her UFC career. The kickboxing standout made weight on the championship limit of 125lb for flyweight, and now faces uncertainty over her future plans.
This is not the first time that Da Silva has missed weight; she was forced out of a 2022 showdown with Priscila Cachoeira when she was 2.5lb over the limit. However, this time is much more significant, particularly given how low the target weight is.
Bloody Elbow understands that the fight will go ahead as scheduled, with Wang Cong taking a percentage of her opponent’s purse and potential win money.
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UFC 316 fight in serious jeopardy as fighter misses weight by six pounds
On Friday afternoon, Wang Cong made weight comfortably at 125lb for her flyweight showdown with Ariane Lipski Da Silva. However, when her rival took to the scales, she showed up at 132lb, meaning she was six pounds above the extended 126lb limit for non-title fights.
The miss is the second of Lipski’s career, but by far her most dramatic. It’s around five percent of Cong’s entire bodyweight when she tips the scales at 125lb, and in any other jurisdiction the fight would have almost immediately been called off.
In the case of this bout, there are two options; Cong can agree to fight at that massive disadvantage and receive a percentage of her opponent’s purse or the bout will be cancelled. In New Jersey, that percentage also includes a part of the win bonus, which isn’t the case elsewhere.
UFC Weigh-in show host Dan Hellie confirmed during the broadcast: “Ariane Da Silva who missed weight by 6lbs but the fight does look like it is likely to happen they’re just negotiating the percentage of the purse.” This led to Daniel Cormier calling for a 50 per cent cut to her pay.
UFC 316 weigh-ins had been relatively drama-free
Prior to this dramatic weight miss, it had been a relatively quiet affair in New Jersey for the UFC 316 weigh-ins. The big question mark appeared to be around Kayla Harrison’s weight, but she ended up coming in on the button at 135lb early.
The main event also wasn’t an issue as Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili both made the bantamweight limit with ease, as well as Julianna Pena. Everyone else on the card made weight without issue.