Brown not fined despite missed weight
Matt Brown failed to make weight for his UFC on FOX 12 main event vs. Robbie Lawler, but will not be fined 20% of his purse, and will be eligible for an ‘of the Night’ bonus.
UFC on FOX 12 main event fighter Matt “The Immortal” Brown weighed in Friday at 172.5, above the 171 welterweight limit in a non title fight.
UFC president Dana White appeared on FOX Sports 1, and related that Brown said the California State Athletic Commission did not let him try to make weight. Further, White said Brown will not be fined for missing weight, and that if he wins, he still gets a title shot.
When Matt Brown came up there he walked over and said, ‘This is crazy, I’ve never not made weight,'” said White as transcribed by BJPenn.com. “He had every intention of going to make weight. and now he just came back and the Athletic Commission is not allowing him to do it.
“They think that… well… I don’t know… They just said, ‘No.’
It turns out there was a miscommunication. Brown will not be fined 20%, and will be eligible for the $50,000 performance bonus. Ordinarily, a fighter who fails to make weight also does not receive an ‘of the Night’ performance bonus, even if the fight merited it.
A CSAC physician advised Brown that he should not cut any more weight. Brown understood that to be an order from the commission, and immediately began to rehydrate. When Brown learned that he could in fact weigh in a second time if he chose to, he did not feel he would be able to cut the 1.5 lbs. on top of everything he had drunk, and said he would take the fine.
Marc Raimondi details what happened, for FOX Sports.
Brown was advised by a commission doctor that he should not continue to cut weight… Brown thought the doctor was telling him he would not be allowed to weigh in again, according to Foster.
“There’s a difference between advisement from a doctor and a directive by a doctor,” Foster told FOX Sports.
“We were just looking after his health and safety, but I was going to let him on [the scale again]. I was going to give him his time. Chalk it up to miscommunication.”
Foster said he spoke to Brown and his cornermen about three minutes after Brown weighed in. Foster said he asked Brown whether or not he would be making a second attempt.
“He said, ‘I’ll take the fine,'” Foster said. “His corner told me he’d take the fine. I’m going to chalk that up to a miscommunication as him thinking we told him absolutely not. Maybe a miscommunication error. But he did tell me he would take the fine.”
“I get it. He’s been cutting, he’s foggy. And we’ll certainly learn from this experience and be very clear following this.”
MMAJunkie reported that Juliana Carneiro Lima will likewise not be fined, and will also be eligible for a performance bonus. However, Raimondi reports that Lima will in fact be fined 20% of her purse, with 10% going to the CSAC and 10% going to the opponent.
Lima weighed in at 117 on her first attempt. Doctors advised her not try to cut any more weight; she hit 116.5 pounds when she weighed in again, this time without clothing, well before the hour extension was up.
To top it all off, Robbie Lawler pranked White, saying he refused to fight because of the missed weight.