This is absolutely massive news. Tomorrow night, we have a massive UFC 274 fight card. There are two title fights to end the night, but we received historic news of a champion being stripped of his title before stepping into the octagon. Unfortunately, Charles Oliveira missed the weight cut, leading to the forfeiture of the Lightweight Title.
Charles Oliveira Stripped of Title at UFC 274 Weigh-In
For the first time in UFC history, a champion lost their title on the scales. During the UFC 274 weigh-ins, Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira stepped on the scales. The number read 155.5, meaning he missed the weight cut by only a half-pound.
Oliveira was given an hour to lose the weight, but he somehow couldn’t lose that final half-pound. The result is him being stripped of the Lightweight Title ahead of his main event fight at UFC 274.
What Happens with Charles Oliveira vs Justin Gaethje?
The fight is still on for UFC 274, and the title is still available. However, Oliveira is ineligible to win it. This means even if he is victorious in the fight on Saturday, he will not be the champion. If Justin Gaethje wins the fight, he will be the champion.
Oliveira missed weight multiple times when he was fighting at featherweight. However, since returning to lightweight in 2017, he hasn’t had any issues making weight until now.
This is unprecedented in the UFC. So, we don’t fully know the consequences, other than losing the championship. However, there is a strong possibility this will affect the wallet of Oliveira as well.
The other factor that also enters many fight fans’ minds is Conor McGregor. Yes, he expressed his desire to move up a weight class and fight at a weight more comfortable to him. However, with the Lightweight Title possibly being up for grabs following this fight, could McGregor come back in the summer to fight for the belt?