Ryan Benoit had to be helped to the scale Friday morning to weigh in for UFC Vegas 26 — but was not able to register an official weight on his first attempt. On his second, he missed weight by a full three pounds.
A visibly shaky Benoit (10-7) had a number of staff and team members around him as he headed to the scale. The 31-year old flyweight, scheduled for a bout with Zarrukh Adashev, appeared to stumble as he backed off. He was immediately taken for a follow-up medical examination.
Incredulously, the call was made to allow Benoit another chance to weigh in. Again, with a number of officials surrounding him, he appeared shaky getting on the scale — but did come in at 129lbs. UFC officials later confirmed the bout had been cancelled.
Benoit vs. Adashev was expected to be part of the ESPN event’s preliminary card. The fight saw Benoit looking to bounce back from two consecutive losses, to Alateng Heili and Tim Elliott.
A member of the UFC since 2013, Benoit has fought just eight times over his span with the promotion. He has had weight struggles before: against Ashkan Mokhtarian in 2017, Benoit weighed in at 129lbs. He won the fight via head kick KO, but was ineligible to win any post-fight bonus due to the weight miss.
UFC Vegas 26 (UFC on ESPN 24) takes place this Saturday, May 8 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, NV. The card is headlined by Michelle Waterson and Marina Rodriguez, a short-notice main event that has the strawweight pair competing at flyweight.
