For the first time in UFC history, a champion has been stripped for failing to make weight. Lightweight champ Charles Oliveira couldn’t get himself down to 155 pounds ahead of his fight with Justin Gaethje on Saturday at UFC 274, and that means that when the fight begins that he will no longer be the king of one of the toughest divisions of the sport.
Despite the fact that Oliveira can’t defend the belt, Gaethje will still have the opportunity to realize his dream of winning the gold if he should beat the Brazilian submission specialist. What all of this means long-term remains up in the air, but we will, surely, know a bit more about it when the outcome of the fight is determined on Saturday evening.
