In recent times, Lara Silva has faced a series of unfortunate situations where her UFC adversaries failed to meet the agreed-upon weight requirements. There was even an occasion where a rival was overweight, but reportedly, Silva was pressured by the organization to proceed with the fight. This information came directly from Silva herself, as she recently shared this experience with MMA Fighting.
Reflecting on past instances where she felt compelled to comply with the organization’s expectations, even when her opponent was the one who failed to uphold their part of the agreement, Silva stated [via MMA Fighting],
“In a previous fight, my opponent was significantly overweight, and as we considered whether to accept the fight, the UFC clearly indicated that I would face consequences if I declined. This included not being paid and the possibility of being released. It seemed as though the opponent who missed weight would face no repercussions. I was the one with the potential problems. Therefore, I felt I had no other option. If I wanted to maintain my position, I had to compete.”
Lara Silva encountered another opponent who failed to make weight at UFC 320
Lara Silva did not specify which particular fight she was referencing in the statement above. However, the sheer number of instances from which to choose underscores the issue. Silva has experienced four out of seven scheduled opponents across her recent fights failing to meet the pre-agreed weight limit.
The most recent occurrence of this happened last weekend when Maria Jenkins weighed in at 137.5 pounds before her match with Silva, leading to Jenkins forfeiting 25 percent of her fight earnings for the discrepancy. Silva ultimately defeated Jenkins on Saturday, October 4th by decision. The victor sought an apology concerning the weight issue, but Silva indicated that neither Jenkins nor anyone from her team offered one.
The frustrations Silva experienced at the UFC 320 weigh-in on Friday spurred her to advocate for stricter penalties for fighters who neglect this aspect of their professional responsibilities. The 35-year-old has faced some opponents with such extreme weight discrepancies that it almost ventures into another weight class, as Chloe Summers came in at 141 pounds for their scheduled bantamweight contest last year.
