UFC Shanghai Weigh-Ins Deliver a Rare Double Weight Miss

Missing weight in combat sports is a standard occupational hazard. But both fighters missing weight for the exact same matchup? That requires a truly special level of synchronized failure.

The UFC Shanghai weigh-ins just delivered the Spider-Man pointing meme in real life. Julia Polastri stepped onto the scale at 118.5 pounds, only for her opponent Xiong Jing Nan to follow up and clock in at 117 pounds for what was supposed to be a strawweight bout.

"MMA Fighting reported the double miss as a 'rare mishap' for the promotion."

Usually, a fighter misses the limit, forfeits a chunk of their purse to the opponent who actually did their job, and we move on. When both fighters miss, the financial penalty turns into a bizarre math problem. Do they just swap 20 percent of their checks like the world's most depressing Secret Santa exchange?

They were not the only ones struggling with gravity at the host hotel. Andre Lima also missed the flyweight limit by a pound, hitting 127 for his fight against Namsrai Batbayar.

For anyone looking at the fight lines, a double weight miss throws the entire handicap into a blender. You are no longer betting on a standard mixed martial arts match. You are betting on which fighter had a slightly less miserable time sweating in a portable sauna.

The only saving grace for the promotion is that the top of the marquee stayed professional. Umar Nurmagomedov and Song Yadong both hit their bantamweight marks without any drama to keep the main event intact.

The card is still moving forward at the Shanghai Indoor Stadium on Paramount+. But the Polastri and Xiong matchup is now just an impromptu catchweight bout born out of mutual dietary regret. We will find out soon enough who actually has the gas tank left to swing when the cage door locks.