Christopher Ewert`s UFC debut at UFC 317 was cut short before he even had the chance to officially weigh in. Scheduled to face fellow newcomer Jackson McVey this Saturday, the middleweight bout was cancelled just as Friday`s weigh-ins commenced. The announcement, made by Jon Anik, cited weight issues for Ewert and confirmed his subsequent release from the promotion.
Following the news, Ewert`s coach, Javier Torres, provided insight into the challenging fight week in a statement to MMA Fighting.
“People don’t understand how much we tried,” Torres stated, detailing the strenuous process. “We started the cut at 216 pounds.” He mentioned they were still at 216 lbs upon their arrival in Las Vegas on Tuesday afternoon, the same day they received the call for the fight.
Describing the chaotic lead-up, Torres explained that their flight from Phoenix on Tuesday morning was delayed, causing them to arrive in Vegas around 1 p.m. Immediately, they had media commitments and obligations for the UFC, leaving only a tight window between 4-6 p.m. for an initial “small cut.” This involved a 30-minute session of running, pads, mitts, sauna, and a mummy wrap.
The main push for the middleweight limit (185 lbs) began later, between 6 and 7 p.m. on Thursday. They worked through the night, managing to get Ewert down to 197.3 pounds by approximately 1 a.m. However, about 90 minutes later, Ewert started experiencing minor cramps. Despite further attempts with a bath and mummy wrap, his weight only dropped slightly, registering 197 pounds.
According to Torres, when they accepted the short-notice fight (less than a week`s notice), the team had hoped the bout would be agreed upon at a catchweight.
“We told our business partner [UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard] we wanted catchweight since Tuesday,” Torres recalled. “We always said 195.”
Torres recounted a 4 a.m. conversation with Maynard, where he informed him of Ewert`s condition and the cramping. He allowed Ewert to rest, noting, “he couldn’t sleep for shit.” They checked his weight again at 6:45 a.m. and resumed cutting efforts at 7:15 a.m., repeating cycles of runs, pads with a sauna suit, sauna sessions, and mummy wraps, continuing this process until 9:30 a.m.
Despite the immense effort, the target weight could not be safely reached. Torres emphasized the team`s dedication, stating, “We did try super f*cking hard.” He added that they successfully cut 22 pounds between Wednesday and Friday morning, highlighting the difficulty of the process on short notice.
