It's already been a tumultuous week for the UFC ahead of its Fight Night card in Brasilia, Brazil, on Saturday night at the Nilson Nelson Gymnasium.
Things almost got worse as headliner Kevin Lee came in weighing 158.5 pounds at Friday morning's weigh-in for his fight against Charles Oliveira, 2.5 over the lightweight limit for non-title fights. After some deliberation, Oliveira agreed to take the bout with Lee, giving him 20 percent of his purse. The other 23 fighters on the card successfully made weight, including Oliveira, who came in at 156.
Initially, Lee didn't show up during the weigh-in window, but CABMMA (Brazil's athletic commission) explained to MMA Fighting that he weighed in backstage 30 minutes before time expired. The commission said Lee only lost another 0.5 pounds before officially stepping on the scale. Since Lee missed weight, he would have had allotted an extra hour, but he declined to do so.
This is the second time Lee has missed weight as a lightweight. The 27-year-old missed weight by one pound before he faced Edson Barboza in April 2018, which Lee won by fifth-round TKO. Before Lee met Tony Ferguson for the interim title at UFC 216 in October 2017, he needed two attempts to hit the 155-pound mark. Ferguson won via third-round submission.
Whether the event would occur was in serious question as Federal District governor Ibaneis Rocha said that all gatherings of more than 100 people couldn't take place. With major sporting organizations either canceling or postponing their seasons, the UFC made the call to move forward and hold the event with no fans or media.