Friday was a day packed with weigh-in drama ahead of major MMA events in both England and America.
In the US, a fighter scheduled for UFC 317 was removed from the card and subsequently fired after arriving 10 pounds over the weight limit for his short-notice debut, not even attempting to weigh in.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, tensions flared significantly after Liam Gittins and Alessandro Giordano completed their weigh-ins for the Cage Warriors 119 main event.
Paddy Pimblett’s Teammate Kicked During Chaotic Weigh-In
While Paddy Pimblett traveled to Las Vegas to support Ilia Topuria against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, the rest of his team remained in the UK. They were there to back Cage Warriors bantamweight champion Liam Gittins as he prepared to defend his title in a rematch against Alessandro Giordano in Manchester.
Gittins found himself in a volatile situation right after weighing in. A push during the face-off with Giordano quickly escalated into a broader conflict when one of the Italian fighter’s coaches physically attacked Gittins, kicking the teammate of Pimblett.
This action immediately threatened to turn the scene into a full-blown brawl, with members from both camps becoming involved in an unpleasant melee. Fortunately, no further strikes were exchanged, preventing the situation from erupting into an all-out fight between the groups.
Coach Handed Lifetime Cage Warriors Ban
Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan, who also manages Paddy Pimblett, quickly addressed the incident and issued a definitive consequence.
The coach who kicked Gittins was given a lifetime ban from the Cage Warriors organization.
Boylan stated that while confrontations between fighters are somewhat expected in the sport, the actions of a coach or teammate assaulting an opponent are completely unacceptable.
He confirmed that Alessandro Giordano’s coach had been permanently removed from the promotion and would never be allowed to corner a fighter within Cage Warriors again.
Gareth Pendleton