With just hours remaining before UFC’s final pay-per-view, UFC 323, middleweight star Marvin Vettori’s nightmare continued under the watchful eyes of Dana White and the UFC. On Friday, fighters stepped on the scale at the UFC Apex to make weight for their respective bouts. In the main event, reigning bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili made weight successfully for the fourth time this year, while his opponent also hit the mark.

The co-main event, featuring reigning flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and Joshua Van, saw both fighters make weight without issue. However, rising middleweight star Bruno Ferreira shook up the UFC’s plans for a flawless event by missing weight.

Marvin Vettori’s UFC 323 bout hits turbulence with opponent missing weight

At the scale, Bruno Ferreira weighed in at 189 lbs, four pounds over the official limit. Despite that, the fight went ahead as planned. “Ferreira vs Vettori is ON — Ferreira fined 20% after Marvin accepted it,” wrote Adam Martin on X. As a result, the bout will now proceed as a catchweight fight, with Ferreira forfeiting 20% of his purse to Vettori.

For Vettori, this marks the second time he has faced an opponent missing weight. In 2021, his opponent, Paulo Costa, was nearly 25 pounds overweight before their fight, which led to the bout being moved to the light heavyweight division. Even though Vettori was underweight compared to Costa, he dominated that night with his striking, securing a decisive victory.

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Adding to the drama, featherweight star Marlon Santos also missed weight ahead of his fight against Muhammad Naimov, coming in 2.5 lbs over the limit. Despite this, the good news is the fight is still “ON,” according to sources.

However, the upcoming fight at UFC 323 presents a challenging scenario for Vettori, as he isn’t in the same form he once was. The Italian fighter is currently on a three-fight losing streak. Now, with the catchweight bout against Ferreira confirmed, Marvin Vettori is set to collect the 20% penalty from his opponent.

Meanwhile, all other fighters successfully made weight for the event. UFC is set to bid farewell to its traditional pay-per-view model and enter a new era with Paramount’s over-the-top streaming service. Here’s a look at the rest of the fight card weights.

Complete UFC 323 weigh-in outcomes

That wraps up Friday’s weigh-ins for UFC 323 as the excitement builds in Sin City. What are your thoughts on this lineup? Share your opinion below.