By: Hans Themistode
While it may have come as a surprise to Anderson Silva, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been down this road before.
As the two spent the past several months preparing for their eight-round co-main event showdown, which will take place at the Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, tomorrow night, the pair originally agreed to a contracted weight of 182 pounds.
Silva, who is a former UFC middleweight champion, stepped onto the scales earlier today and easily made the weight. As for Chavez Jr., he failed to do so, weighing 184.4 pounds. As a result, Chavez Jr. was forced to fork over $100k in fees. Now, with Silva’s wallet getting a bit heftier, their contest will go on as scheduled.
While Silva won’t complain about the extra cash, ultimately, he’s disappointed with his opponent’s lack of professionalism.
“Well guys, I’ve been a combat sports professional for over 20 years,” said Silva. ”I’ve always accomplished my duties inside and outside of the ring. The contractual weight for tomorrow’s fight is 182lbs, which I accomplished through months of hard work alongside my team. Unfortunately, my opponent came in at 184.4lbs. Despite this, I will still put on a great show for you all.”
After wrapping a career that many believe places him in the conversation for greatest martial artist of all time, Silva officially hung up his gloves following a knockout loss in the UFC late last year. Although he was content with his decision, when the opportunity to face Chavez Jr. presented itself, Silva simply couldn’t say no.
In the main event of the night, Chavez Jr.’s father, Julio Caesar Chavez Sr., will take on Hector Camacho Jr. in a four-round exhibition.