Former UFC title challenger breaks down in tears after nearly missing weight for Las Vegas fight

Mayra Bueno Silva couldn’t contain her emotions after tipping the scales in Las Vegas on Friday morning.

The former women’s bantamweight title challenger was one of the last fighters to weigh in ahead of UFC Vegas 116 this weekend at the Meta Apex.

MMA Junkie

MMA Junkie

MMA Junkie

Both main eventers, Aljamain Sterling and Youssef Zalal, had already made weight before a nervous Silva approached the scales.

The 34-year-old from Brazil was evidently overweight at the first time of asking, as the commissioner in charge of the weigh-ins called for a privacy curtain to be used.

However, after a few tense seconds standing on the scale, it was then read out that ‘Sheetara’ had indeed made weight.

She came in at exactly the women’s bantamweight limit of 136lbs and immediately grabbed the curtain in front of her in what must’ve felt like a huge relief.

Silva then began sobbing and was clearly struggling as she made her way backstage.

Weight cutting in MMA has always been a controversial subject due to the limited number of weight classes.

At the start of this year, bantamweight Cameron Smotherman collapsed in frightening circumstances after making weight ahead of UFC 324.

Former UFC star Paul Craig once described to talkSPORT how he developed an eating disorder from big weight cuts, which had a serious impact on his mental health.

Thankfully, Silva was able to make it off stage, and her bout against New Zealander Michelle Montague is still going ahead as planned.

Silva is riding a four-fight losing streak, which began with her unsuccessful challenge of the women’s bantamweight title against Raquel Pennington in January 2024.

Getty

Getty

Getty

Who else is on UFC Vegas 116 card?

UFC Vegas 116 is headlined by a top-ranked featherweight bout between former UFC champion Sterling and rising contender Zalal.

The Fight Night card also features a co-main event at women’s bantamweight between Norma Dumont and Joselyne Edwards.

Other notable names include Briton Davey Grant and Rodolfo Vieira.

Meanwhile, Raoni Barcelos is looking to make it five wins in a row at the age of 40 against Montel Jackson.

UFC Schedule

For all the upcoming fights and results this year, check out talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.