Only one fighter missed weight ahead of the UFC’s return to Japan.
All competitors but Mizuto Hirota came in on weight on the eve of UFC Fight Night 117, which will take place at the Saitama Super Arena on Friday night.
While it is common for fighters to miss weight, Hirota’s situation was far from the norm as he stumbled to the scales and almost fell off as it was announced that he had come in over the featherweight limit of 146lbs for non-title fights.
Hirota, who was the last fighter to appear at the official weigh-ins, weighed in at 150lbs and was visibly shaken as he was led away from the media by one of his coaches, as you can see in the below video from MMA Junkie.
Miss today's #UFCJapan weigh-ins? Mizuto Hirota's trip to the scale was a little scary. Full rundown here: https://t.co/tacfafCSZ1 pic.twitter.com/qYHILHczyQ
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) September 21, 2017
The 36-year-old looked as unhealthy as any fighter we’ve ever seen at a UFC weigh-in and the incident comes as the latest example of the desperate need for an overhaul of the weight-cutting practices among combat sports athletes.
His bout with Charles Rosa is reportedly scheduled to go ahead at a catchweight, with Hirota fined 30 per cent of his fight purse, but one must wonder how safe it is to allow a fighter, who is so clearly drained and depleted on a Thursday, compete less than 36 hours later.
