Fans that tuned in for this morning’s UFC on ESPN 8 weigh-ins were greeted by an unexpected face: Urijah Faber’s.
Despite not being scheduled to fight on the Jacksonville, Florida event, Faber stepped onto the scale and weighed in just below the lightweight limit. Normally, this would suggest Faber is on-tap to replace any lightweights scheduled to compete on the card in the event of a last-minute shakeup. However, the UFC on ESPN on 8 lineup doesn’t feature any lightweight bouts.
So what exactly is going on?
Apparently, Faber weighed in on the off-chance he needs to replace his pupil, Chinese bantamweight contender Song Yadong, who is scheduled to fight Marlon “Chito” Vera in a short-notice featherweight fight on the main card. Song could reportedly be deemed unable to fight due to a lingering visa issue, in which case the UFC and the overseeing athletic commission will scramble to see if a short-notice fight between Vera and Faber is doable — despite their gap in weight.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani has the details:
Urijah Faber made a surprise appearance at the weigh-ins today. He weighed in at 153.5. The reason he did so is because Song Yadong, who weighed 145.5, has a potential visa issue that may preclude him from fighting tomorrow. They are trying to sort it out. Faber standing by.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 15, 2020
The two main questions right now are: can they issue be sorted in time for the event and if not would the commission allow Faber to fight Vera who weighed in at 145.5. All fluid at the moment.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 15, 2020
“Urijah Faber made a surprise appearance at the weigh-ins today. He weighed in at 153.5,” Helwani wrote. “The reason he did so is because Song Yadong, who weighed 145.5, has a potential visa issue that may preclude him from fighting tomorrow. They are trying to sort it out. Faber standing by.
“The two main questions right now are: can they issue be sorted in time for the event and if not would the commission allow Faber to fight Vera who weighed in at 145.5. All fluid at the moment.”
Do you think we’ll see Urijah Faber in action tomorrow night?