After rash of weigh-in gaffes, Cage Warriors to dock 60 percent of cash

A number of Cage Warriors fighters have recently had trouble making weight, but if it keeps up, they could now be fined more than half of their fight purses.

The organization today announced that beginning with its “Cage Warriors 69: Super Saturday” card, which streams on MMAjunkie on June 7 from London, fines for missing weight will climb to 60 percent. The offending fighter’s opponent will receive 40 percent of the fine, and the opponent also gets to choose a charity of his or her choice that will receive the other 20 percent.

“We’re dealing with professional athletes here, but due to the lack of professionalism displayed by some, we’ve been forced to make these changes,” Cage Warriors CEO Graham Boylan stated in today’s announcement. “Making weight is an obligation, not an option, and this will be the first step towards ensuring that we never have a situation again like we did last week.”

At Cage Warriors 68 on May 3, seven of the card’s 20 fighters missed weight, including two sets of opponents.

Cage Warriors already had some of the strictest fines in MMA. Previously, fighters were fines 25 percent of their purse if they missed weight by 2.2 pounds or less. Fines increased to 40 percent when they missed weight by more than 2.2 pounds. All fines were given to the opponent.

By comparison, most state athletic commissions and North American MMA promotions cap fines at 20 percent.

However, Boylan, whose company has emerged as one of Europe’s leading MMA promotions, said the penalties could increase even beyond 60 percent if fighters continue to miss weight.

“If this doesn’t deter fighters from missing weight, we’ll go to the next level,” he stated. “We’ll continue to make the necessary changes until this is resolved because what happened last weekend was unacceptable.

“ … This is not about money because the fines don’t go back into the company’s pocket. We’re making this change for the good of the sport and the promotion, so it’s now up to fighters to respect themselves, their opponents and the promotion by making weight as they commit to in their contracts.”

While the fines are likely to make the industry take notice and spark dome debate, Boylan believes it can easily be a nonissue.

“Sixty percent might seem like quite a significant figure, but the simple fact is that if you make weight like you’re supposed to, you won’t lose a penny,” he stated.

For the latest on Cage Warriors 69, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.