UFC Rio spread its wings inside the Farmasi Arena as the prelims set the tone long before the main card took center stage. The promotion’s 13th visit to Rio opened with high drama, featuring a controversial catchweight bout between Luan Lacerda and Saimon Oliveira, which was originally scheduled as a bantamweight fight. However, chaos erupted during the weigh-ins when Brazilian Saimon Oliveira missed weight by a staggering 8 lbs.

While every other fighter made weight, Oliveira tipped the scales at 144 lbs instead of the required 135, jeopardizing the matchup. The UFC swiftly fined him 50% of his fight purse, and Luan Lacerda demanded that Oliveira weigh no more than 155 pounds on fight night. Although Oliveira eventually met that mark, the incident had already cast a shadow over him. On fight night, Oliveira entered the cage on a three-fight losing streak but couldn’t withstand Lacerda’s relentless pressure.

Michael Bisping loses patience over Saimon Oliveira’s weigh-in fiasco

The catchweight clash quickly hit the mat, with Saimon Oliveira using his size, strength, and wrestling to dictate the pace early on. But momentum in MMA can be fleeting. In the second round, Lacerda turned the tide—taking Oliveira’s back, locking in a tight body triangle, and relentlessly hunting for a rear-naked choke. When that failed, he stayed calm under pressure and fluidly transitioned into an armbar to close the show, forcing Saimon Oliveira to tap out. The defeat marked Oliveira’s fourth consecutive loss inside the UFC—a brutal reminder of how unforgiving the Octagon can be when momentum slips away. Yet, the night’s embarrassment didn’t end with the submission.

UFC veteran and commentator Michael Bisping, stepping in for Joe Rogan, unleashed sharp criticism toward Oliveira’s weigh-in fiasco and the all-Brazilian matchup. Bisping called the situation “shameful” while slamming the 34-year-old. He also made it clear there should be no excuse for missing weight, especially since it was the only Brazil vs. Brazil fight on the card. The Rio event carried high stakes for both Luan Lacerda and Saimon Oliveira, with Lacerda entering at 0-2 and Oliveira at 0-3.

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As the dust settles, fans will have to wait to see whether Oliveira remains in the UFC. Meanwhile, the prelims card was already shaping up, hinting at exciting action ahead. Yet, the spotlight remains on the controversial Brazilian, leaving fans eager to see what comes next—so let’s examine the history and precedents that could offer some clues.

Is there a chance Dana White & Co. will cut Oliveira for being eight pounds over?

Dana White and Co. rarely drop a fighter from the promotion solely for missing weight—a fact underscored by Kelvin Gastelum just last month. The American star tipped the scales over the limit before his bout against Dustin Stoltzfus at UFC Noche, yet with a history of multiple fights under his belt, the UFC remained hands-off. As a seasoned veteran, Gastelum commands respect in the sport. His legendary clash with Israel Adesanya at UFC 236 still resonates as one of the greatest fights in UFC history.

Earlier this year, Gastelum etched his name in UFC history when the promotion inducted that fight into the Hall of Fame. By contrast, Saimon Oliveira, still chasing his first UFC victory and now 0-4 in the promotion, teeters on the edge of the roster. For a fighter like Oliveira, the margin for error is razor-thin. A cautionary tale unfolded at UFC 317, when the UFC cut Christopher Ewert after his debut fight, as the welterweight star missed weight by 10 pounds against Jackson McGee.

With UFC Rio now moving into the main card, it remains too early to predict Saimon Oliveira’s fate. Until then, all eyes remain on the UFC brass and Dana White. Stay tuned.