Christopher Ewert`s UFC contract was terminated before he could even step onto the scale for his scheduled bout at UFC 317.
He was set to face fellow newcomer Jackson McVey this past Saturday. However, as the official weigh-ins were about to commence on Friday, it was announced that the middleweight fight was cancelled due to Ewert facing significant weight issues. This ultimately led to the fighter`s release from the promotion.
Following this news, Javier Torres, Ewert`s coach, provided a statement detailing the difficulties they faced during fight week.
Torres stressed the immense effort they put into the process, stating, “People don’t understand how much we tried.” He explained they began the weight cutting process from 216 pounds, noting that they checked into their hotel in Las Vegas at this same weight. By Friday morning, he said they had managed to get down to 195 pounds. He added that they had initially received the fight offer call on Tuesday afternoon, leaving very limited time to prepare and cut weight.
Recounting the challenging lead-up to the fight, Torres mentioned their flight from Phoenix was delayed (originally scheduled for 8:30 a.m., departing at 11:05 a.m., and arriving in Vegas at 1 p.m.). Upon reaching Vegas, they immediately faced numerous UFC media commitments and photo sessions. This left only a small window, from 4-6 p.m., for an initial, lighter weight cutting session which included a 30-minute run, pad work, mitts, sauna, and a mummy wrap.
Torres stated the main, intense push for the middleweight limit (185 lbs) began between 6 and 7 p.m. local time on Thursday. They went through multiple rigorous rounds of procedure until Ewert reached 197.3 pounds around 1 a.m. Approximately 90 minutes later, Ewert started experiencing small cramps. They followed this with another bath and mummy wrap session, but checking the weight again revealed Ewert had only dropped marginally to 197 pounds.
Torres mentioned that upon accepting the fight, especially given it was on less than a week`s notice, Ewert and his team had strongly hoped the bout could be contested at a catchweight.
He confirmed they had communicated their desire for a 195-pound catchweight to their “business partner” (likely referring to a UFC representative) since Tuesday, consistently stating 195 pounds as their preferred limit for the fight.
Torres detailed a conversation with “Mick Maynard” (identified as their business partner) at 4 a.m. on Friday, where he relayed the difficult situation, including Ewert beginning to experience cramps. After attempting to let Ewert rest (who apparently couldn`t sleep well due to the process), they checked his weight at 6:45 a.m. and resumed the demanding cutting process at 7:15 a.m. This involved running and pad work while wearing a sauna suit, followed by sessions in the sauna and mummy wraps, also utilizing the sauna suit. This rigorous routine was repeated until 9:30 a.m.
Torres concluded by strongly emphasizing their commitment and the extreme effort made despite the outcome, stating, “We did try super f*cking hard.” He pointed out they successfully cut a significant 22 pounds from Wednesday to Friday morning, illustrating the tremendous physical exertion undertaken in their attempt to make weight on short notice.
