5 of the worst weight cuts in UFC history

Weight cutting is probably the least fun and most difficult part of a fight camp. While some UFC fighters only cut 5-10 pounds to make weight, others have the misfortune of cutting 20 pounds or more.

We here at BJPenn.com have compiled five of the worst weight cuts in UFC history. Take a look below!

1. James Irvin vs. Alessio Sakara.

‘The Sandman’ had an usual UFC career, capped by massive highs and a record-setting fastest knockout over Houston Alexander followed by extreme lows from injuries and failed drug tests. Irvin rolled the dice back in 2010 and attempted to fight at middleweight after a long career fighting at heavyweight and light heavyweight. Irvin looked terrible at the weigh-ins for his debut fight at 185 pounds against Alessio Sakara at UFC on Versus I, and his performance in that fight showed why he should have never made the cut to middleweight. Sakara punched Irvin square in the eye in the first round, and that was it for Irvin. ‘The Sandman’ returned to 205 pounds in his next fight, and never cut back down to 185 pounds ever again.

2. Chris Weidman vs Demain Maia.

Chris Weidman was just three fights into his UFC career when he signed on to fight former middleweight title contender Demain Maia on two-weeks notice. Weidman lost a whopping 20 pounds in 24 hours. While the Long Island native did make weight, his performance suffered. Even with a decision victory over Maia at UFC on FOX II, Weidman appeared sluggish and slow after the first round. The man who would become the first person to ever knockout Anderson Silva eventually perfected his weigh cuts, and has a near perfect record of 13-1.

3. Renan Barao vs. TJ Dillashaw

Former bantamweight champion Renan Barao was regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the UFC before he stepped into the cage with TJ Dillashaw at UFC 173. Leading into their rematch at UFC 177, Barao’s notoriously large weight-cut to 135 pounds was even more excruciating than usual, causing him to pass out while standing up and hit his head on the bathtub just days before the event. The weight cut was so severe that Barao never made it into the octagon that night, forcing their showdown to be rescheduled for a later date. Joe Soto stepped in for Barao against Dillashaw, and put up a good showing before a head-kick ended his night in the fifth round.

4. Kenny Florian vs. Jose Aldo

When Kenny Florian was on the first season of Ultimate Fighter, he fought at 185 pounds. He eventually settled in to the lightweight division where he competed for the majority of his career. Florian eventually opted to try his luck at 145 pounds, and even fought then-champion Jose Aldo in a featherweight title fight. However, Florian went on record saying that the cut to 145 pounds was an “experience of a little of what death has to offer.” K-Flo ended up losing the fight with Aldo, and was never really competitive in the bout.

5. Mike Pyle vs. Brock Larson

Mike Pyle has made a nice career for himself fighting on the UFC’s welterweight division and has put together a respectable resume with several impressive victories. However, back at UFC 98, Pyle had a bit more of a difficult weight cut than usual, cutting 22 pounds in a little over a week from fight night. He did eventually make weight, but was ultimately submitted in the first round for his efforts.