Charles Oliveira stripped of UFC world title for missing weight

Charles Oliveira will be stripped of his UFC lightweight world title after he missed making the 155-pound limit for his upcoming title defense against number one contender Justin Gaethje this Sunday at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, USA.

Oliveira, 32-8 as a mixed martial arts fighter, weighed in at 155.5 pounds in his first attempt on the scale. He was given an hour to cut the extra weight but came back weighing just the same on his next try. Gaethje, meanwhile, was on point at 155 pounds.

“Due to the weight miss, Oliveira will forfeit a percentage of his purse.  As of this moment, Charles Oliveira remains the UFC Lightweight Champion, but upon the start of the Main Event Headliner tomorrow night he will vacate the 155-pound title,” UFC said in a statement.

“The fight will proceed as scheduled, but the championship will only be on the line for Gaethje. If Oliveira wins, he will be the number one contender for the vacant Lightweight Championship and will fight the next challenger for the undisputed title belt at a time and place to be determined.”

In the co-main event, UFC women’s strawweight world champion Rose Namajunas versus Carla Esparza is official as both fighters made weight at 115 pounds.

—JMB, GMA News