Undefeated UFC fighter misses weight for 3rd time

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 03: Rafael Estevam of Brazil poses on the scale during the UFC Fight Night official weigh-ins at Meta APEX on April 03, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) The UFC Vegas 115 official weigh-ins got messy at the end, with a familiar face involved. At the close of the first weigh-in window, three of the last four fighters to step to the scale missed weight for Saturday’s event at Meta Apex.

Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev (207), Rafael Estevam (136. 5), and Darrius Flowers (156. 5) all failed to make weight for their respective contests, coming in over the limit even including the one-pound allowance for non-title fights.

For Estevam, this is the third time he has failed to make weight for a UFC fight, twice at 135 pounds and once at 125 pounds. It was later announced that Estevan and Flowers’ bouts against Ethyn Ewing and Lando Vannata, respectively, will proceed as catchweights with the offending fighters forfeiting 20 percent of their purses as penalty. Yakhyaev has been cleared to attempt a second weigh-in.

There was no drama when it came to the top two fights on the card. Longtime lightweight contender Renato Moicano was the first fighter to weigh in, successfully hitting the mark at 156 pounds. His opponent, Chris Duncan, later registered the same weight.