Friday proved to be a dramatic day for weigh-ins, with significant incidents occurring before major mixed martial arts events in both England and the United States.
Stateside Weigh-in Issues
In the United States, a fighter slated for UFC 317 faced consequences for failing to make weight. The undefeated prospect, Christopher Ewert (7-0), was reportedly cut from the promotion after not even attempting to weigh in for his short-notice debut against Jackson McVey (6-0). The scheduled bout was subsequently cancelled.
Chaos at Cage Warriors Weigh-in
Across the Atlantic, tensions boiled over following the official weigh-in for the Cage Warriors main event. The incident involved Liam Gittins and his opponent Alessandro Giordano.
While Paddy Pimblett traveled to Las Vegas to be cageside for his long-time rival Ilia Topuria`s fight at UFC 317, several of his teammates remained in the UK to support Cage Warriors bantamweight champion Liam Gittins. Gittins was preparing to defend his title in a rematch against Alessandro Giordano in Manchester.
Following the face-off between Gittins and Giordano, an altercation broke out. A push from Gittins reportedly led to one of Giordano`s coaches kicking the Liverpudlian fighter, who is a teammate of Pimblett. This quickly escalated into a chaotic scene involving members from both teams, creating an ugly melee.
Fortunately, no further strikes were exchanged, and a full-blown brawl between the two camps was narrowly avoided.
Coach Permanently Banned
Cage Warriors president Graham Boylan, who also serves as Paddy Pimblett`s manager, promptly addressed the incident. He announced that the coach who initiated the physical contact by kicking Gittins would receive a lifetime ban from the organization.
In a statement, Boylan clarified the promotion`s stance: “While some level of tension between fighters is understood in the build-up to a bout, a coach or teammate physically assaulting an opponent is unacceptable. As a direct consequence of his actions, Alessandro Giordano’s coach has been removed from this event and is permanently banned from cornering at any future Cage Warriors shows.”
