Rafael Alves misses nearly 12 pounds for featherweight fight at UFC Vegas 19, fight called off

A preliminary fighter was so far off weight in Friday’s official weigh-ins for UFC Vegas 19 that he would have been division heavy.

Rafael Alves weighed 157.5 pounds for a featherweight (yes, featherweight) bout with Patrick Sabatini scheduled for Saturday’s preliminary card at UFC APEX in Las Vegas. That’s 11.5 pounds over the 145 pound limit.

Sabatini managed to weigh 145.5 pounds. He took on Alves’ bout on short notice as a replacement for Mike Trizano (ankle injury).

The fight has been officially called off.

Earlier this week, Alves told MMA Fighting that his plan is to return to the lightweight division after UFC Vegas 19.

Alves posted a statement on Instagram shortly after the official weigh-ins ended.

@rafaeltheturn, Instagram

“Guys, I got sick during my weight loss and my fight was called off,” Alves wrote. “I’m sorry, but my health above all.”

MMA Fighting has contacted Alves for further comment.

Bantamweight Ketlen Vieira and bantamweight Drako Rodriguez and featherweight Jared Gordon were also underweight. Vieira came in at 138, two pounds over the limit for her main co-event bout with Yana Kunitskaya, while Rodriguez went over the 4.5-pound limit and Gordon went four pounds.

Kunitskaya successfully weighed 135.5 pounds, as have respective opponents Rodriguez and Gordon, Aiemann Zahabi (136) and Danny Chavez (145).

The main co-event bout between Vieira and Kunitskaya will take place at a grabbed weight, with Vieira losing 20% ​​of her purse to Kunitskaya. Rodriguez and Gordon’s fights will also play out like eye-catching weights, with both fighters losing 30% to their opponents.

Check out the UFC Vegas 19 weigh-in results here.