Bonfim vs. Pichel, Hugo vs. Marcos Nixed From UFC Sao Paulo Due to Weight Issues

The scales proved a greater threat than expected for UFC Fight Night 231 on Friday morning.

Ahead of the UFC Sao Paulo event on Nov. 4, in the promotion’s return to the Brazilian city for the first time since late 2019, four fighters initially missed weight. A rarity in combat sports, both Ismael Bonfim (159.5) and Vinc Pichel (157) came in heavy for their lightweight match. While Pichel returned to hit his proper marks at 155.5 pounds, Bonfim declined to continue cutting weight, and the fight has been canceled. Additionally, Victor Hugo Silva clocked in at 138.5 pounds ahead of his bantamweight battle with Daniel Marcos (136), and the organization announced it scrubbed that bout from the lineup as well.

Eduarda Moura exceeded the strawweight cap by 3.5 pounds prior to her matchup with Montserrat Ruiz (114), and Moura has received a 30% fine as the fight is still currently on the books. Bonfim was hoping to compete on the same card as brother Gabriel Bonfim, as the two fought on the same UFC 283 billing in January. Instead, the elder brother will need to wait some time to return to a lineup, rather than attempting to get back in the win column on Saturday. His prospective foe Pichel was planning to make his first appearance of 2023, in an effort to continue his streak of exactly one UFC fight per year dating back to 2019.

Fresh off his contract-winning kneebar of Eduardo Torres Cant in October on Dana White's Contender Series, Hugo showed the one-month turnaround may not have been enough time to reach weight properly. On the other side of the equation, Marcos was aiming to push his professional record to 16-0 with another win on Saturday. The promotion has not yet announced if these canceled matches will be rebooked at a later date or if they will receive different opponents.