UFC 280 loses bout during the official weigh-in

A UFC 280 preliminary card bout was scratched from the fight card during the event’s official weigh-in on Friday in Abu Dhabi.

The scheduled featherweight match between Zubaira Tukhugov (20-5-1) and Lucas Almeida (14-1) was nixed due to weight-cutting management issues by Tukhugov. The fight promotion made the announcement during the UFC 280 weigh-in show.

It’s not the first time the Russian has had difficulty making weight. He missed the mark for his UFC 253 bout against Hakeem Dawodu in September 2020. The 31-year old has fought eight times inside the octagon.

Also during the UFC 280 Official Weigh-in, No. 1-ranked women’s flyweight contender Katlyn Chookagian came in a pound and a half (127.5) for her main card matchup against No. 6-ranked Manon Fiorot. She was fined a portion of her fight purse, but the bout remained intact.

UFC 280 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Saturday and features two world title bouts. The vacant lightweight title is on the line in the main event as former champion Charles Oliveira takes on Islam Makhachev. In the co-main, bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling faces former two-time titleholder T.J. Dillashaw. Also on the fight card, former bantamweight champ Petr Yan faces rising star Sean O’Malley.

Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev were the first fighters to weigh-in for UFC 280 | Video