Weigh in session at IF promotion went wrong after their athletes got too heated before actually getting in the cage. The chaos ensued after one of them threw a shirt on the other.
Altercations leading up to a sanctioned bout can be a good way to entertain fans and sell tickets for the event. Some altercations are real but most are just gimmicks and vary in intensity.
Two intensity demonstrate the range well. In first case Paulo Costa surprised Israel Adesanya with a jiu jitsu white belt. This is a bit comical and provocative while not crossing the line.
On the other hand UFC vet Jeremy Stephens shoved Drakkar Klose at weigh ins and caused a cervical sprain that compromised Klose’s career in addition ro resulting in the cancellation of their bout.
During weigh-in sessions, most MMA athletes are in a very susceptible condition due to cutting weight. Even a simple push can give them trouble. This is also why UFC president Dana White is always extra careful during weigh-ins and staredown sessions.
Recently, a video of a IF weigh in went viral after an altercation broke out at a weigh-in session.
It all started when one of them threw his used shirt at his opponent’s head. His opponent reacted instantly by charging at him and delivered a barrage of punches. The guy then repaid the favor by fly-kicking his opponent.
At this point, the security and event journalists were jumping in to separate the two. It was pretty chaotic for a bit, but luckily things settled down after the pair got separated.
UFC’s Terrance McKinney also weighed in on the viral conflict.
MMA fans on social media have various opinions on who did wrong in the altercation.
“Bro tried to be cute and got a bloody face lol.”
“Well that was unnecessary.”
“Eh, it’s a shirt. Dude who threw a punch is definitely in the absolute wrong.”
“what’s stopping him from throwing the shirt back and that’s it? or just bucking at him? or waiting for the day of the fight to handle it? this isn’t the retribution yall keep saying it is, it’s just acting stupid and now he won’t get paid.”