Friday`s weigh-ins ahead of major MMA events in England and the USA were filled with drama.
A UFC 317 fighter was pulled and subsequently fired after missing weight by 10 pounds for his short-notice promotional debut. Undefeated Christopher Ewert (7-0) completely skipped the weigh-in process before his scheduled bout against Jackson McVey (6-0), leading to the cancellation of the fight and his release from the UFC.
Across the Atlantic, events escalated after Liam Gittins and Alessandro Giordano weighed in for their Cage Warriors 119 main event.
Coach Receives Lifetime Ban After Attacking Paddy Pimblett`s Teammate at Weigh-ins
Paddy Pimblett traveled to Las Vegas to be ringside for the UFC 317 headliner between his long-time rival, Ilia Topuria, and Charles Oliveira.
However, the rest of his team remained in the UK to support Cage Warriors Bantamweight Champion Liam Gittins, who is set for a title rematch against Alessandro Giordano in Manchester on Saturday night.
Gittins was fortunate his team was present, as he was subjected to an attack following the weigh-in procedure. During the face-off with Giordano, a shove occurred, prompting one of the Italian fighter`s coaches to kick Pimblett`s teammate.
The situation quickly escalated, involving members from both teams in a heated confrontation. Fortunately, a full-blown brawl was avoided, with no further strikes exchanged.
Coach Receives Lifetime Ban from Cage Warriors
Cage Warriors President Graham Boylan quickly addressed the incident.
Boylan, who also manages Paddy Pimblett, issued a lifetime ban to the coach who kicked Gittins.
“Fighters going at each other, up to a certain point, is part and parcel of the fight game,” Boylan stated. “However, when a coach or teammate steps in and assaults an opponent, it will not be tolerated.”
“As a result, I have removed Alessandro Giordano’s coach from Cage Warriors events.”
“He will never again be permitted inside the organisation as a corner man.”
