Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. addresses weight miss for boxing bout vs. Anderson Silva

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will set foot in the ring on Saturday, tailing a controversial weigh-in.

The former WBC middleweight champion failed to make weight for his boxing bout against former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in the main event of Tribute to the Kings, which goes down at Jalisco Stadium and is set to stream live on pay-per-view.

Chavez Jr. weighed in on Friday morning at 184.4 pounds for his bout contracted at 182.

The 35-year-old addressed the weight miss at the ceremonial weigh-ins on Friday afternoon, saying there was no contracted weight.

“I don’t have any contract,” Chavez Jr. explained in his post ceremonial weigh-ins interview. “He’s fought his entire life at 84 kilos and I weighed in at 83 kilos so that was the detail. I don’t have any problem making less weight.”

Chavez Jr. said he weighed in at 182.6 pounds (83 kilos), but the promotion Borizteca Boxing confirmed to MMA Junkie he came in at 184.4 pounds. Chavez Jr. forfeited $100,000 of his purse to Silva for the weight miss.

When asked if he was taking the fight seriously given Silva is predominantly MMA fighter and not a boxer, Chavez Jr. said he’s by no means taking the Brazilian lightly.

“Of course every fight has to be taken seriously,” Chavez Jr. said. “He already boxed, he’s a strong and hard rival. The weight and size advantage is his, not mine. It’s going to be a great fight but we’re prepared to win.”

“They only say that I weighed in at 83 kilos, but they don’t say that the fight is eight rounds and everything we’ve given him in advantages being an MMA fighter. And we do it with pleasure so we can make a show for everyone.”

Silva, 46, felt disrespected by Chavez Jr. weight miss. Following the ceremonial weigh-ins, the MMA star expressed his disappointment.

“I made my weight and I’m very professional,” Silva said. “My work with my team for six months was to respect the boxing here in Mexico.

“I think different situations happen for different fighters, but when you don’t make the weight, you prove you don’t respect the people and the promoters and everybody. But this happened.”