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UPDATE 3:55 p.m.: Cole Williams has been fined 40% of his purse, which will go to Jason Witt. Williams will also be ineligible for any fight night bonuses.
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It’s been a rough UFC career for welterweight Cole Williams, who tipped the scales at 175.5 pounds this morning for his fight with Jason Witt at UFC Vegas 12 scheduled for Saturday.
The problem is the weight limit for welterweight is 170 pounds, and 171 for non-title fights in the octagon.
And it would be one thing if it was the first time Williams has had a weight-cutting issue. Sometimes it’s just not doable, or you feel ill, or there’s an outside issue. However Williams also missed for his UFC debut fight with Claudio Silva on August 3rd of 2019... and came in at 176 lbs.
Oh, and then he got choked out in 155 seconds in the first round anyway.
It’s one thing to miss weight, it’s another to miss so terribly your first two fights in the biggest promotion in the sport that it’s an insult to your opponent. It’s not great.
No word on what percentage of Williams will be forfeited to Witt for his failure here, as that is determined by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. It would usually be 30%, but could be greater here as he’s a repeat offender and the size of the miss. Witt also has the opportunity to not accept the fight, but since he’s listed as a -150 favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook anyway, he’ll have incentive to go forward and get his paycheck.
Also replacement fighter Jack Marshman, who steps in for Wellington Turman on tomorrow night’s card after a positive Covid-19 test for the original competitor, came in at 187.5 pounds instead of the 186 limit at middleweight. His bout with Sean Strickland will likely come with a 20% paycheck penalty that will hit Strickland’s direct deposit instead.