White: Barao has been punished enough
Dana White: “He hurt us, he messed with the show, but, that kid didn’t make a paycheck, he’s going home with no money. He’s going home without a dime.”
At UFC 177 during Renan Barao’s weigh cut the fighter suffered consequences of extreme weight cutting. Medical personnel were called by his camp, and administered an IV to replace electrolytes, making the cut impossible. Barao was out of the fight with champion T.J. Dillashaw, and replaced with Joe Soto. As Barao failed to make his contracted weight, and neither showed nor won, he was paid neither show money nor win money.
There have been instances in the past where a fighter failed to make weight and was never the less given their show money. That was not the case here, presumably because the financial consequences of losing half the main event of a PPV are so severe.
White was asked after the event if Barao would be punished for missing weight. White said Barao would not be penalized further, noting with some sympathy that the fighter was already out his show money, and his win money.
“There’s no excuse for what he did,” White added at the post-fight scrum. “There’s no excuse for not making weight. But he paid for it. He hurt us, he messed with the show, but, that kid didn’t make a paycheck, he’s going home with no money. He’s going home without a dime. He just paid for a camp, and who knows when he’s going to fight again.”
(4:18 mark)
Please note: An earlier version of this blog mischaracterized White’s remarks, implying that his tone was harsh and even vindictive, perhaps sending a warning to other fighters about the harsh consequences of failing to make weight. However, White was expressing sympathy in a situation that was trying for everyone, and saying clearly that not fighting and not getting paid was punishment enough. UG Blog regrets the error.
UFC 177 also had additional issues with weight cutting as former Olympian Henry Cejudo was scheduled to make his UFC debut before having to pull out. He also will not be paid. As expected both Cejudo’s opponent and Joe Soto’s original opponent Birchak will be paid their ‘show money’ and ‘win money’:
Barao’s not making any money, UFC President Dana White said (watch the full post-UFC 177 media scrum below). I’m not paying Barao. Barao showed up and didn’t fight, (and) the other kid (Cejudo) that didn’t make weight. The other kids will get paid.
And that includes both the base purse (show money) and win bonus for Birchak and Jorgensen?
Yeah, of course, he said.
