The UFC Shanghai weigh-ins produced an unusual situation ahead of Saturday’s event, with three fighters failing to make weight. Xiong Jingnan and Julia Polastri both came in heavy for the same strawweight matchup, while Andre Lima also missed the flyweight limit. None of the affected fights has been canceled, leaving the 13-fight card intact despite the unusual weigh-in problems.
Xiong Jingnan and Julia Polastri Both Miss Weight
Xiong Jingnan 19-3-0 weighed 117 pounds for her women’s strawweight matchup with Julia Polastri, putting her one pound above the 116-pound limit.
Polastri 14-6-0 came in at 118.5 pounds, meaning she was 2.5 pounds over the limit. The fight will continue at catchweight, with neither fighter receiving a penalty for missing weight.Having both fighters miss weight for the same bout is what makes this situation particularly unusual. Usually, one fighter comes in heavy while the other successfully hits the contracted limit.
That will not be the case in Shanghai. Both fighters will enter the Octagon above the official strawweight limit, but their fight remains scheduled.
Andre Lima Also Misses the Flyweight Limit
Andre Lima 11-1-0 was the third fighter to miss weight during Friday’s official weigh-ins.
Lima weighed 127 pounds for his flyweight matchup with Namsrai Batbayar, one pound above the 126-pound non-title limit. Batbayar successfully made weight at 126 pounds.
Unlike Xiong and Polastri, Lima will face a financial penalty. He will forfeit 20 percent of his purse to Batbayar, while their fight will proceed at catchweight.
It is also the second time Lima has missed weight during his UFC career. He previously came in four pounds heavy for his flyweight bout against Mitch Raposo at UFC 302 in May 2024.
Lima now faces a quick turnaround after suffering the first professional loss of his career to Kevin Borjas in June.
UFC Shanghai Main Event Remains Intact
The biggest fight on the card avoided any problems at the scales.
Umar Nurmagomedov 20-1-0 weighed 135.5 pounds for his bantamweight main event against Song Yadong. Song came in at 136 pounds, exactly at the non-title bantamweight limit.Both fighters therefore successfully made weight for the five-round headliner.
Nurmagomedov enters the fight after winning two straight bouts following the first loss of his career to Merab Dvalishvili. Song also has plenty at stake as he looks to build on his recent victory over Deiveson Figueiredo.
The main event is expected to have major implications for the bantamweight division, making the successful weigh-in an important development after the issues on the preliminary card.
Yan Xiaonan and Denise Gomes Make Weight
The co-main event also went through the weigh-ins without any problems.
Yan Xiaonan 19-5-0 weighed 115.5 pounds for her women’s strawweight bout against Denise Gomes, who came in at 115 pounds. Both fighters therefore made the contracted limit.That keeps the second-biggest fight on the card unchanged.
The contrast between the main card and the preliminary bouts is notable. While three preliminary fighters missed weight, the two featured fights at the top of the card remain fully intact.
Full UFC Shanghai Weigh-In Results
The rest of the card also avoided major weight issues.
Aoriqileng and Kai Asakura both weighed 135.5 pounds for their bantamweight fight. Alex Perez came in at 126 pounds against Sumudaerji at 125 pounds.
Liu Ce and Levi Rodrigues Jr. both weighed 206 pounds for their light heavyweight matchup, while Bilal Hasan and Nilson Rojas both came in at 124.5 pounds.
On the prelims, Rei Tsuruya weighed 125 pounds against Kevin Borjas at 126. Jack Jenkins and Sean Woodson came in at 145.5 and 145 pounds respectively.
Xiao Long weighed 135 pounds against Francesco Nuzzi at 136, while Lawrence Lui and Hector Santiago came in at 135.5 and 135 pounds.
Ding Meng and Cam Nelson both made the 170-pound welterweight limit.For readers following previous UFC scale controversies, the published UFC Oklahoma weigh-in results provide another example of how missed weight can affect an event.
What the Weight Misses Mean for UFC Shanghai
The biggest positive for the UFC is that all 13 fights remain scheduled.
Xiong and Polastri will compete at catchweight without a financial penalty, while Lima will give up 20 percent of his purse to Batbayar.
The situation could still affect the physical dynamics of the bouts. Fighters who miss weight can potentially enter the Octagon heavier after rehydrating, although both Xiong and Polastri will have that same opportunity because neither made the limit.
Lima’s situation is different. Batbayar successfully made weight, while Lima did not, giving the Mongolian fighter a clear contractual advantage before the fight begins.
The scale drama, however, has not affected the event’s two biggest matchups.
Final Thoughts
The UFC Shanghai weigh-in results produced an unusual situation, with three fighters missing weight and both competitors in the Xiong Jingnan versus Julia Polastri matchup failing to hit the strawweight limit.
Andre Lima will pay the biggest price after coming in one pound heavy for his flyweight fight, with 20 percent of his purse going to Namsrai Batbayar. Xiong and Polastri will instead move forward at catchweight without financial penalties.
The main event and co-main event remain unaffected after Umar Nurmagomedov, Song Yadong, Yan Xiaonan and Denise Gomes all successfully made weight.
With the full 13-fight card still intact, the weigh-in issues are now behind the fighters. The focus shifts to Saturday and whether any of the weight-related drama has an impact once the Octagon doors close.
