Vinc Pichel is understandably disappointed with Ismael Bonfim for his massive weight miss that ultimately led to their scheduled UFC Sao Paulo clash being canceled.
Pichel (14-3) was set to make his return to the Octagon against the younger Bonfim brother (19-4) following a unanimous decision loss to Mark O. Madsen back in April 2022.
However, while Madsen tipped the scales at 155.5 pounds with some additional time, Bonfim weighed in at 159.5 pounds; a whopping 3.5 pounds above the lightweight limit. As a result, the promotion announced that the scheduled main card opener between Pichel and Bonfim had been scrapped.
Soon after the announcement, Pichel took to social media to issue a statement addressing the weight-miss debacle. The 40-year-old made it clear that he had no intention of taking on a fight against an opponent that “didn't even try to make weight.”
“So as you know my fight is cancelled,” Pichel wrote. “My opponent didn’t even try to make weight and I decided to take away his ability to fight and make money for this unprofessionalism which I’m sure he regrets. I am huge on self-responsibility and he showed none by his actions and by missing weight by so much, so I decided to give him some for his actions. I’m sorry to everyone who was excited to watch me throw down and also happy to ruin parlays against me at the same time. In my 15+ year career, I have never missed weight. If you are upset about my decision, I’m sorry but there is no one else to blame but my opponent. You will see me fight again soon!”
Whether the Las Vegas-based promotion will rebook the same lightweight matchup down the line remains to be seen. Nevertheless, Pichel believes the Ultimate Fighting Championship will pay him his purse for holding up his end of the bargain on the scales.
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