With the next UFC numbered event still nearly a month away, UFC Vegas 113 takes center stage this week to capture fight fans’ attention, even as the bantamweight division faces a crisis. The card features the Mario Bautista vs. Vinicius Oliveira bantamweight clash, a fight with top-10 implications. Just hours before the action, fighters have gathered inside the UFC APEX in Las Vegas for the weigh-ins, but Merab Dvalishvili’s teammate missed weight.

Two days before the fight, bantamweight star Said Nurmagomedov withdrew due to a visa issue, suddenly putting the bout at risk. Fortunately, the promotion found a replacement in Gianni Vázquez, but he missed weight by five pounds.

In addition, another 135-pound fight between Muin Gafurov and Jakub Wikłacz ran into trouble during the first fight night of the year, scheduled to stream on Paramount+, when Gafurov also missed weight. In the prelims bantamweight matchup, Gafurov, who trains with Merab Dvalishvili and Aljamain Sterling at Syndicate MMA, came in five pounds over the limit.

The good news is that the main event, Mario Bautista vs. Vinicius Oliveira, is still on and remains the headliner. Oliveira made headlines recently by announcing before the weigh-in ceremony that he had completed the 50-pound weight cut. At the official weigh-ins, Oliveira weighed 136 lbs, under the non-title fight limit, while Mario Bautista hit 135.5 lbs.

With both fighters making weight, the promotion officially confirmed the main event. However, the bantamweight division isn’t the only one in trouble. The women’s flyweight division also faces uncertainty, as both Eduarda Moura and Wang Cong missed weight.

Now, according to the latest update from MMA Junkie’s Nolan King: “All three #UFCVegas113 fights involving weight misses will proceed. Gianni Vasquez and Muin Gafurov are fined 25 percent. Cong Wang and Eduarda Moura have their fines nullified, as they both missed weight.”

However, neither of the female flyweights will be eligible for the bonus. That’s a big relief coming from the promotion, which, in its last two major events, also faced serious weight-miss issues, like Aaron Tau’s, which led to the cancellation of his fight. Meanwhile, they’ve taken notes from fighters like Vinicius Oliveira, who managed to cut 40–50 pounds during fight week.

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UFC Vegas 119 star Vinicius Oliveira details intense 50-pound weight cut

Not every fighter competes at their natural weight. Some fighters, for example, cut far from their ideal weight, as Vinicius Oliveira does, since he usually walks around much heavier than his fight weight. Since joining the UFC, Oliveira has gone 4-0 in the promotion, earning his spot under Dana White after graduating from DWCS. He currently holds the 11th spot in the division. However, his recent admission about his drastic weight cut has raised concerns among fans and the promotion.

“To be honest, I need to lose a lot of kilos,” Oliveira said at media day. “I used to do that, but it is tough to me. I don’t know how many times I’m going to stand in this division, so I’ve got a plan to get the belt faster, then move on… I usually lose from the beginning of my camp, 24, 23 kilos (50 to 52 pounds) to fight and that’s too much. I feel really tired, I feel sick, but now I did some different things with my health and my food,” he added.

With extreme weight cuts becoming so common lately, should the promotion and commission make hydration tests mandatory for Dana White & Co.? Share your thoughts below.