Fighter Blames Salmon For Worst Weight Cut In UFC History

It turns out that salmon is the reason behind the worst weight cut in UFC history.

Rafael Alves, who was expected to make his Octagon debut this weekend at UFC Vegas 19, missed weight by 11.5 pounds during Friday’s official weigh ins (results HERE). As a result, his featherweight scrap with Pat Sabatini has been removed from the card. Making matters worse is the fact that Alves’ name is now tied to one of the worst UFC records a fighter could ever own.

Late Friday, Alves spoke to MMA Fighting via text and revealed that his weight cut started to unravel after eating salmon on Thursday. The Brazilian fighter became very ill and was advised to drink water to treat his symptoms. In turn, Alves wasn’t able to keep his weight down. After having just over four pounds left to cut the Octagon newcomer ballooned back up.

“I ate salmon yesterday and fell ill, [had] vomit and diarrhea, so the doctor said I had to treat it with [drinking] water,” explained Alves. “I only had 2kg [4.4 pounds] left to cut, [but] when I drank water my weight went up and got stuck, so the doctor didn’t clear me to fight. But God owns everything and He knows what He does.”

Alves, 30, will have another chance to prove his worth inside of the Octagon as he makes a justifiable move to lightweight. The former Contender Series standout has already spoken to UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby and believes the promotion should have a 155-pound matchup for him soon.

“[UFC matchmaker] Sean Shelby said that health is what matters now,” Alves said. “He told me this has happened to champions before, and told name to fight at 155 and come back stronger. They won’t cut me because they had to change opponents and they were searching for a new one, some said they would fight at 155 and others at 145, so I didn’t focus on the guy I was fighting nor my weight. But I’m going to fight at 155 now. I’m focused and nothing will stop me.

“I know a lot of people are criticizing me, but I don’t care. Jesus was God’s son and he was criticized despite all his power, so imagine me, a flawed man on Earth? But thank God the UFC hasn’t said they will cut me, so I’ll be back soon. They said I’m a showman that will give the UFC a lot of profit.”

There’s really no viable excuse for Alves’ historic weight miss, but at least the guy didn’t blame it on the dreaded kangaroo meat.

UFC Vegas 19 will go down tomorrow night (Sat., Feb. 20, 2021) live on ESPN+ from inside UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. A heavyweight clash between Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis will serve as the main event.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 19 fight card below RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card bouts at 5 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 8 p.m. ET.