The UFC 333 weigh-in was on the cusp of achieving an unblemished record, with almost all fighters hitting their mark on the scale. However, a female fighter violated the limit by being overweight, which resulted in the promotion punishing her with a significant purse deduction.

The fight in contention is Nicolle Caliari vs. Iasmin Lucindo in a strawweight bout in the prelims, which is scheduled to start the night in Abu Dhabi this weekend. Caliari missed the non-title fight limit of 116 lbs by 4.5 pounds, weighing in at 120.5. On the other hand, her opponent, Lucindo, made 115 lbs successfully, but instead of cancelling the fight, she agreed to compete at catchweight. 

As a result, the promotion deducted a hefty 30% from Caliari’s purse for being overweight and awarded it to Iasmin Lucindo for accepting the fight despite the weight discrepancy in their bout. 

For Caliari, it’s the first time she has missed weight in the UFC. Her last weight miss came outside the UFC against Kay Hansen at Invicta FC 37 in 2019, where she exceeded the strawweight limit by weighing in at 116.2 lbs, 0.2 pounds over the limit. At that time, Caliari was fined 25% of her purse. 

However, the UFC deducting such a significant amount from Caliari’s purse is not remotely surprising.

When it comes to purse deductions, there are different stages of money deducted depending on the severity of the violation. If a fighter misses the weight limit by 0.5 to 1 pound, the promotion usually cuts 20% of the purse. However, in cases of 4, 5, or even higher misses, the percentage significantly goes up.

Caliari missed weight by 4.5 pounds, which is well above the standard one-pound miss, which is why the promotion hit her with a hefty deduction.

The latest violation could hurt Caliari’s career. After losing two fights last year, the 29-year-old Brazilian made a comeback against Shauna Bannon in May 2026, scoring a third-round submission finish. That win improved Caliari’s overall record to 1-2 in the promotion. By no means does her record scream impressive.

If Caliari loses her next fight against Lucindo after missing the weight, she might find herself on the cusp of a UFC exit. Or, a potential move to flyweight could be in the cards. A win, however, could possibly improve her chances in strawweight.

Despite Nicolle Caliari spoiling UFC 333’s almost perfect night at the weigh-ins, the rest of the fight card remains intact. 

Fighters who successfully made weight at UFC 333 

Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev both exemplify the pinnacle of professionalism in the UFC. Neither has ever missed weight in their careers, and that remained the case for their upcoming clash. 

The reigning and defending featherweight champion, Volkanovski, weighed in at 144.5 lbs—half a pound below the championship limit. Evloev hit the scale at exactly 145 lbs to make the UFC 333 featherweight headliner official.

In the co-main event, Petr Yan is all set to defend the bantamweight belt against Merab Dvalishvili in an anticipated trilogy. The bantamweight stars weighed in at the 135-lb championship limit for the fight, making the co-main event set in stone. 

Following the two center attractions of the UFC’s return to Abu Dhabi, the other marquee bouts also didn’t disappoint.

Alexander Volkov hit the scale weighing 256 lbs for his bout against Rizvan Kuniev, who weighed in at 265 lbs. Meanwhile, young flyweight star Lone’er Kavanagh weighed in at 125.5 lbs for his fight against Ramazan Temirov, who made 126 lbs comfortably.

Plus, Losene Keita came in at the 146-lb featherweight limit, while his opponent, Aaron Pico, came in half a pound under it at 145.5 lbs for their fight.

The rest of the fighters who made weight are as follows:

• Light heavyweight: Azamat Murzakanov (206 lbs) vs. Dominick Reyes (205 lbs) 
• Light heavyweight: Nikita Krylov (206 lbs) vs. Abdul Rakhman Yakhyaev (206 lbs) 
• Middleweight: Abus Magomedov (185.5 lbs) vs. Cam Rowston (185 lbs) 
• Lightweight: Nurullo Aliev (155 lbs) vs. Grant Dawson (156 lbs) 
• Bantamweight: Colby Thicknesse (135.5 lbs) vs. Asaf Chopurov (136 lbs)
• Middleweight: Jacob Malkoun (186 lbs) vs. Abubakar Vagaev (185.5 lbs) 
• Featherweight: Bolaji Oki (146 lbs) vs. Daniel Santos (146 lbs)
• Lightweight: Noah Gugnon (156 lbs ) vs. Kody Steele (156 lbs) 

One of the important fights of UFC 333 was definitely entangled in controversy, but most of the fighters successfully hitting the scale could spell success for the promotion, which often sees multiple misses on a card.