UFC's Charles Oliveira discusses botched weight cut, confirms he wasn't paid

Even if UFC and local commission officials hadn’t learn how ill he was, Charles Oliveira said he was in no shape to fight this past Friday at UFC Fight Night 50.

Just hours before the event, which aired on FOX Sports 1 from Foxwoods Resort Casino in Ledyard, Conn., the UFC announced Oliveira (18-4 MMA, 6-4 UFC) had been forced out of a planned rematch with featherweight Nik Lentz (25-6-2 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC).

“I am very sad about everything that happened this week,” Oliveira told MMAjunkie on Saturday evening. “But I know that I’ll come back stronger. I felt ill and was unable to make the weight or fight. I started feeling sick in Brazil. As I’m the one who asked for this fight, I really tried my best but wasn’t able.”

Oliveira first fought Lentz in June 2011 at UFC on VERSUS 4, where they both picked up “Fight of the Night” bonuses. Oliveira initially was declared the winner via second-round rear-naked choke, but it was later overturned after the commission determined an illegal knee went unnoticed by the ref and affected the outcome of the fight.

To set up the rematch, both of the fighters had strung together some recent success – Oliveira had won two straight while Lentz was on a 4-1 run – but the trouble was obvious at Thursday’s weigh-ins. Oliveira came in four pounds heavy and opted to surrender 20 percent of his purse as a fine.

But even as he rehydrated after the weigh-ins, things didn’t improve, and they worsened on fight day.

“I couldn’t even stand up,” he said. “My immunity dropped due to the cut. I’m not sure (exactly what it was). I just know I had a high fever, headaches and vomiting.”

Oliveira confirmed he received no compensation from the UFC. (A week prior, fellow Brazilian Renan Barao also wasn’t paid when he fell ill and was pulled from UFC 177’s headliner.) Initially, a UFC official told MMAjunkie Lentz would be paid his win/show money and Oliveira’s fine, but that a decision hadn’t been made about Oliveira.

Despite the rough weekend, Oliveira said he remains motivated.

“I tried my best to make the weight and fight, but it wasn’t possible,” he said. “I wasn’t paid, but I’ll be back. Very soon I’ll be back even stronger.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 50, check out the UFC Events section of the site.