In 4 of her previous seven fights within the UFC, Yana Santos has confronted an opponent that didn’t make weight. The most recent incident with Macy Chiasson practically despatched her over the sting.
This previous Friday forward of UFC 320, Santos raged after Chiasson hit the dimensions at 137.5 kilos — a pound and a half over the restrict for a non-title battle — and finally confronted solely a 25 p.c penalty of her purse for lacking weight. Afterwards, Santos instantly known as for harsher punishment being handed down for athletes who fail to make the contracted weight for a battle.
However maybe the hardest half about this newest incident was Santos feeling like she had no different alternative however to face Chiasson no matter how a lot she truly weighed.
“A few fights in the past when my opponent missed a variety of weight and we had been pondering ought to we take the battle or not, UFC made it very clear that the one that will likely be punished is me if I refuse to battle,” Santos informed MMA Combating. “So I’m not getting paid, I’ve an opportunity to be lower and all these items.
“It’s just like the opponent who missed weight is [not] going to have an issue. It’s me that has issues. So I can’t see that as an possibility. It’s what it’s. If I need to preserve my job, I’ve to battle.”
Whereas she didn’t identify that battle particularly, Santos took on Chelsea Chandler again in 2024 after Chandler weighed 141 kilos, a staggering 5 kilos over the restrict for a non-title bantamweight bout. Santos went on to win a unanimous determination, however the consequence didn’t make her really feel a lot better about going through an opponent with an apparent bodily benefit.
Sadly, Santos is aware of there’s a minimum of one instance when a fighter turned down an opponent who missed weight and had that call successfully finish their UFC profession.
Again in April 2018, Leslie Smith was scheduled to face Aspen Ladd at UFC New Jersey, however Ladd missed the mark and got here in 1.8 kilos over the bantamweight restrict. Regardless of efforts to discover a center floor to maintain the battle on the cardboard, Smith finally declined to face Ladd.
Smith was paid her present and win bonus for the ultimate battle on her UFC contract and was subsequently faraway from the roster.
“I noticed this instance so many occasions,” Santos stated. “One woman missed weight, the opposite woman refused to battle they usually lower her. It’s a number of occasions so I don’t need to be on this place. It’s so improper, the one that did the whole lot appropriate will likely be punished however it’s what it’s.”
Ideally, Santos would like to see stiffer penalties handed right down to fighters who don’t make weight so it turns into an actual deterrent.
Because it stands now, the 35-year-old bantamweight believes some athletes successfully recreation the system understanding that the punishment received’t damage as unhealthy as struggling via a troublesome weight lower that might compromise them in a battle.
“You’re successful the battle, you get the next rating, you’re getting your full bonus cash, the cash on your subsequent battle grows … I’m fairly positive if it’s one thing stronger, we’re going to have much less folks miss weight,” Santos stated. “I perceive some folks have some conditions, some bother they usually actually [had problems making weight]. We present so many occasions folks shaking [on the scale], they’re falling down, dropping their thoughts after they lower weight but it surely’s not all that is the rationale.
“Like I noticed my opponent, she walked up fairly properly, she was energized, she had weight to chop, she had time to do that however she simply refused. I imagine if she had a stronger penalty, she would go and lower this pound. It’s like quarter-hour within the sauna, simply battle a bit extra. A stronger punishment, folks will take this with extra duty.”
It additionally bothered Santos that Chiasson by no means apologized for lacking weight, however as a substitute identified that she gave up 25 p.c of her purse as a penalty in order that must be sufficient.
“How issues had been dealt with is what made me so upset,” Santos stated. “As a result of to begin with, nobody informed me she missed weight, simply I needed to keep there and see. Nobody requested me if I wished to battle or not. It’s what it’s. Nobody stated sorry earlier than battle or after battle.
“After the battle, I needed to go to her and say, ‘You must apologize a minimum of.’ It didn’t come from anybody from [her] group or UFC group, it was identical to [it] turns into one thing common that each battle my opponent missed weight and I needed to battle. It makes me really feel prefer it’s not the way it’s imagined to be.”
Santos admits she admired Chiasson heading into their matchup at UFC 320, however her opinion has dramatically modified within the wake of the weigh-cutting fiasco and the aftermath of the battle.
“Earlier than the battle, I revered her a lot,” Santos stated. “I preferred her persona and all these items and I attempted to not preserve any negativity. When the battle’s completed, I attempt to preserve negativity from my opponent. Nevertheless it’s a bit arduous as a result of I actually suppose it’s improper how she dealt with this example.”
