UFC Vegas 104 was meant to be an effortless buildup to another exciting Fight Night, but the weigh-ins have thrown a major wrench into the plans. While the main event between Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze went down without a hitch, chaos broke out elsewhere in the card. Fighters walking onto the scale appeared anxious, and it quickly became evident that several of them would be in big trouble. Weight misses are nothing new in the UFC, but this time it’s turned into one of the most devastating weigh-ins in recent history. So much so that Dana White is making them pay significant fines for it.

One of the biggest offenders was UFC rookie Diyar Nurgozhay, who stunned everyone by arriving significantly overweight for his light heavyweight match against Brendson Ribeiro. Instead of reaching the 206-pound limit, Nurgozhay stepped on the scale at 210.5 pounds without even attempting to lose the excess weight. His clash with Ribeiro will be at catchweight, but the massive financial penalty he faces will sting. Meanwhile, welterweight Chidi Njokuani failed to make weight; therefore, his fight with Elizeu Zaleski will now take place outside of the official weight class.

Bantamweight Josias Musasa also missed weight but made the cut on his second attempt, narrowly avoiding a fine. This isn’t the first time the UFC has witnessed fighters struggle on the scales. Previous events have experienced similar fiascos, like UFC 183 when Kelvin Gastelum and John Lineker both arrived overweight and were fined heavily. Gastelum, for instance, weighed in 9 pounds above the welterweight limit, resulting in a 30% penalty from his fight fee. Thiago Alves missed the lightweight weight limit by 6.6 pounds at UFC 205, causing him to lose money before even entering the Octagon.

These recurrent weight-cutting failures have raised questions about fighter discipline and the long-term health consequences of drastic weight cuts. After the chaotic scene of weigh-in day, fighters at UFC Vegas 104 must now step into the Octagon and deliver. For those who missed weight, the added strain of financial loss weighs heavily, making their fights even more important. As fight night arrives, all eyes will be on whether these fighters can overcome the pre-fight nerves and prove themselves where it counts the most. However, the weight cut misses weren’t the only issue faced by the much-anticipated event.

Dana White’s UFC Vegas 104 faced another setback as the fight card took a hit

Just as fight week began, Dana White‘s UFC Vegas 104 experienced a major setback when the scheduled lightweight bout between Evan Elder and Marquel Mederos was abruptly withdrawn from the card. The announcement, which came just two days before the weigh-ins, caught fans off guard and left the event with one fewer bout on an already stacked card. While UFC officials quickly altered their plans, the timing of the cancellation worsened the increasing concerns about the event. With the fight canceled, questions arose about what had caused the abrupt shift.

It was then discovered that Mederos had been forced to withdraw due to an undisclosed injury, leaving Elder with no opponent for the weekend. Instead of rushing for a last-minute substitute, the UFC and Dana White decided to reschedule Elder for another event. He was originally scheduled to fight Austin Hubbard at UFC Mexico City on March 29, but plans changed again, and he then moved to UFC on ESPN 66 to face Ahmad Hassanzada on April 26.

Meanwhile, Mederos has yet to receive a new fight booking. The injury news dealt an early blow to the event, but the problems did not stop there. Just as the dust had cleared on the fight cancellation, the aforementioned weigh-ins caused even more havoc.

Despite the challenges, UFC Vegas 104 will go on as planned, with a slightly revised roster. The main event remains a high-stakes rematch between Marvin Vettori and Roman Dolidze, while the co-main event promises an explosive welterweight fight between Chidi Njokuani and Elizeu Zaleski.

Although the path to fight night has been anything but smooth, the remaining fighters now have the opportunity to deliver and return the spotlight to the action inside the Octagon. What do you think? Will UFC Vegas 104 live up to the hype? Or will this be a major blow for Dana White and the UFC? Let us know in the comments.