Jeff Smith 
@adminThere were two fights cancelled for tonight’s Vegas 26 due to the fighters missing weight. Although a third fighter missed weight the fight will go on, but he will not get his full payout.
So why is this particular UFC weigh-in making headlines, because one of the fighters almost killed himself trying to cut his weight so he could fight. The sad thing about this situation is that it is not entirely uncommon.
This time it was Ryan Benoit. From the moment he comes walking into the room you know he is not in good shape. He had his coaching staff assisting him the entire way up to the podium, they even had to help him step up on the scale.
Unfortunately the moment the coaching staff no longer supported Benoit he started to wobble. So much so that Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) chief assistant Jeff Mullen could not get a registered weight. Benoit was then seated for a few minutes before heading into the back to be “checked” by the UFC medical staff.
Noone thought he would return as it was clear he was not in good shape medically. But after a few minutes he returned, still needing assistance to walk and step on the scale. Benoit continued to wobble but managed to stay still long enough to get an official weight, he failed anyway.
Shortly after he was taken to the hospital suffering from severe dehydration. According to his manager he was released from the hospital on Friday and set to fly home Saturday.
This was the second time Benoit has missed his weight, but the first time he was still well enough to fight.
When fighters miss their weight, they can still take the fight depending on how close they missed it by, they just don’t get their full pay. Of course if they have to miss the fight they lose their entire paycheck.
For this reason fighters go to extremes to make weight, and although it has not happened in the UFC yet, some have actually died. The crazy thing is that right after the weigh-in they rehydrate and their weight goes up, so they are not even fighting at that weight.
This begs the questions: What’s the point of the weigh-in? And why aren’t the coaches and teams looking out for their fighters? Whatever the reason, the companies continue with the archaic practice.
As for your bets, if you put money down on the Benoit vs Adashev or Rothwell vs Lins bouts, your money is a push. If you are looking to re-bet and you haven’t decided on the main event, do it now.
Rodrigez is the favorite at -200, she is on a surprising winning streak. With a win tonight she might get a title shot versus Namajunas. Waterson comes in as the underdog at +175, but she does have experience going 5 rounds which could give her the edge the longer it goes. Now might be the time to try live betting.
