Charles Oliveira will not be able to compete for the UFC title due to a reason that almost seems made up. Oliveira missed the 155-pound weigh-in limit by half of a pound. He was given an additional hour to lose 0.5 pounds but after being unable to do so, he has officially been stripped of his title. He will still fight against Justin Gaethje, however, he will not have an opportunity to be the UFC champion. The best he can hope to accomplish is to defeat Gaethje and stop him from claiming the title.
⚖️ = 155.5lbs
Charles OIiveira has been unable to shift the final weight.#UFC274 | Saturday | BT Sport 1 HD pic.twitter.com/fIRlDIUIGC
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) May 6, 2022
The UFC 247 event is scheduled to transpire in Phoenix on Saturday. It is an event that UFC fans have been discussing for quite some time and the media has had no shortage of hype over the past few weeks. However, this certainly will remove some wind from the bout's sails.
Nonetheless, Charles Oliveira has a crowded and loyal fan base who will still support him regardless of the circumstances. And his competitive nature will not allow him to mail this fight in.
Justin Gaethje has stated that he will approach the fight in the same manner as before despite Oliveira's unfortunate news. He has a chance to become the champion and isn't going to let .5 pounds get in the way of his pursuit of a title.
Oliveira had plenty of confidence heading into this fight. He surely still has the confidence, but the motivation could be a questionable factor. But as aforementioned, I imagine his competitive spirt won't let him back down in this bout.
This still projects to be a great fight. But it has to be extremely disappointing for Charles Oliveira. He is still considered by many to be one of the best MMA fighters in the world despite being stripped of his title.
Follow Us
Subscribe