Chase Hooper misses weight for first time in career ahead of UFC Oklahoma City

Chase Hooper missed weight for the first time in his MMA career at Friday’s UFC Oklahoma City weigh-ins, tipping the scales at 157.5 pounds — 2.5 pounds over the lightweight limit — for his scheduled bout against Mitch Ramirez. The fight will proceed as a catchweight contest, with Hooper forfeiting 20 percent of his purse.

The 26-year-old is a 13-fight UFC veteran who originally competed at featherweight before moving back up to lightweight in 2023. Friday’s miss is an anomaly in an otherwise clean weight-cutting record across his career.

Hooper was not alone in falling short. Ezra Elliott, scheduled to face Damien Anderson in a featherweight opener, also overshot the mark, coming in at 147.5 pounds. As of the weigh-ins, no details had been confirmed on the financial penalty Elliott faces or whether his bout will be allowed to proceed.

The main event and co-main event, by contrast, went off without issue. Former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis weighed in at 185.5 pounds for his five-round return against former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who made full use of the one-pound championship allowance at 186 pounds. It is du Plessis’s first fight since losing the middleweight title.

In the co-main event, Jared Cannonier hit the championship weight exactly at 185 pounds, while Christian Leroy Duncan came in at 185.5 pounds. Both bouts are confirmed to go ahead as scheduled on Saturday.

Full weigh-in results

Main card

Dricus Du Plessis (185.5) vs. Kamaru Usman (186)

Jared Cannonier (185) vs. Christian Leroy Duncan (185.5)

Chase Hooper (157.5)* vs. Mitch Ramirez (155.5)

Tabatha Ricci (116) vs. Fatima Kline (115.5)

Tommy McMillen (146) vs. Alberto Montes (146)

Prelims

Austin Bashi (145) vs. Jose Miguel Delgado (146)

Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani (171) vs. Seokhyeon Ko (169)

Levi Rodrigues Jr. (206) vs. Felipe Franco (205)

Alden Coria (126) vs. Stewart Nicoll (126)

RJ Harris (262.5) vs. Alvin Hines (264)

Anna Melisano (126) vs. Dione Barbosa (125)

Ezra Elliott (147.5)* vs. Damien Anderson (146)

* denotes missed weight