“In this sport, you have to be very hungry or otherwise someone might come and hurt you,” said undefeated 29-0 and Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, as per Motivation Mentors back in 2023. For any UFC fighter, discipline is of the utmost importance — it can make or break a career. Take weight cuts, for example. Tony Ferguson has a history of extreme weight cuts to compete in the lightweight division. On one occasion, despite his UFC 249 fight being canceled, Ferguson still cut a staggering 24 pounds in one week — a testament to his dedication but also a stark reminder of the dangers and chaos weight cuts can bring.
This remains a serious issue that can throw off schedules and jeopardize a fighter’s hard work. Most recently, Jean Silva failed to make weight on his first attempt at the UFC 314 weigh-ins. ‘Lord’ tilted the scales at 147 lbs — one pound over the non-title featherweight limit of 146 lbs. Thankfully, he was given an additional hour to shed the extra pound and managed to do so after nearly 40 minutes, salvaging his fight against Bryce Mitchell. However, not everyone was impressed. Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping took the opportunity to send a strong message to fighters. In a recent YouTube video, he said:
“Jean Silva’s great! He made weight this morning as well, almost missed weight at the ways came in at 147. Came back an hour later made it at 146 crawled under the towel and came out like a demon-like Bryce says that he is. And you know what, everyone made weight because it’s a pay-per-view because the level of professionalism is at the next level. These fighters that are missing weight recently. Get a grip, okay? This is your job, you can’t guarantee you’re going to win a fight. But you’ve only got two obligations that you must uphold. You turn up on weight and be in shape. Pisses me off.”
February 22, 2025, Seattle, Wa, Seattle, Wa, United States: Jean Silva and Melsik Baghdasaryan meet in the octagon for a 3-round bout at the Climate Pledge Arena for UFC Fight Night – Cejudo vs Song on February 22, 2025, in Seattle, WA, United States. /PxImages Seattle, Wa United States – ZUMAp175 20250222_zsa_p175_405 Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
Even though Silva could not make weight at first, he seemed confident and said, “It’s not over. I’m going to come back and make weight. Bryce Mitchell, I’m going to knock you out.” Since Bisping was a UFC star himself, he knows the plight of weigh-ins and weight cuts. He had tried to come up with a solution for weight cuts as well back in 2021. “It’s not the UFC’s fault. Fighters are contracted to be at a certain weight, and however they get to that weight, the UFC is not responsible for that.” Michael Bisping conveyed to MMA Junkie.
“I just wish there was talk of it a while ago about you had to be a certain weight, like 15 percent away from your weight, or something like that.” However, with the recent weigh-ins before UFC 314, it does not look like the rules have changed. Meanwhile, this is not the first time Jean Silva has failed to cut weight.
Jean Silva and his issues with weight-cutting
At UFC 303, before his showdown with Charles Jourdain, Jean Silva weighed in at 147.5 lbs—well over the featherweight limit. The miss resulted in a 20% deduction from his purse, and the fight moved forward at catchweight, leaving a mark on his record ahead of his latest weight-cut situation. This time, however, Silva made weight after utilizing the one-hour grace period and is now locked in and ready to destroy Bryce Mitchell, as he boldly stated.
Their feud has taken a personal turn, with Mitchell labeling Silva as being possessed by legions of demons—a declaration Silva dismissed as silliness. “The fight’s going to go: he’s going to try to take me down, I’m going to defend it, and I’m going to throw some shots at his head. Might knock him out in the first, in the second. We’ll see, but maybe he’ll need to retire after this because he’s going to have some brain damage after this one,” clarified Jean Silva on UFC 314 media day.
Who do you think takes this one? Drop your predictions in the comments below!
The post Michael Bisping Gives UFC Fighters a Warning After Jean Silva Puts UFC 314 Fight in Jeopardy – “Get a Grip” appeared first on EssentiallySports.
