Mixed Martial Arts match canceled as fighter exceeds weight limit by 10 kg

During the weigh-in on Friday morning the organizers of Lion Championship announced that Dung is overweight.

He and his club, Kpark Kickfit & Warrior Muay, are expected to face stiff penalties.

"This is an act of disrespect, causing harm to the organization's schedule, and especially affecting the opponent Pham Duc Thang," the organizers said.

"The Vietnam Mixed Martial Arts Federation will soon announce the penalty for Cong Dung and his organization."

The poster of an MMA match at LC 22 in the 65 kg category on May 10 between Nguyen Cong Dung and Pham Duc Thang. Photo courtersy of Lion Championship

This is the first time in 22 LC events that a fighter has exceeded the weight limit by more than 10 kg.

Following the incident, Dung has locked his personal Facebook page.

Thang expressed disappointment after shedding nearly 15 kg to be able to compete.

Both fighters are newcomers to Lion Championship, Vietnam's largest professional mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament.

56 kg titleholder Pham Van Nam was scathing about the incident, saying: "Even being overweight by just two ounces would make me feel guilty toward the organizers, the audience and my opponent.

"Duc Thang worked hard to cut his weight, but his opponent showed no responsibility. There is no excuse for exceeding the weight limit by 10 kg."

According to Lion regulations, if a fighter exceeds the weight limit by more than 2.5 kg, the match is canceled, and the overweight fighter and their organization are fined and could face additional penalties based on the contract.

In addition to the fine, Dung and his club are likely to be banned from participating in LC events for a certain period.

LC has also implemented a monitoring system for fighters, requiring weekly video reports of their weight for four-six weeks leading up to the fight. Organizers may recommend or refer fighters to a professional weight management team to avoid health impacts.

Fighters must first weigh-in 10 days before the match.

The official weigh-in takes place one day before the fight.

Fighters who exceed the limit by 0.1 to 0.5 kg are fined 10% of their prize money.

The fines increase with the deviation --20% for 0.5-1 kg, 50% for 1-2 kg, and 100% for 2-2.5 kg -- with the penalty money given to the opponent.

Pham Duc Thang (L) during a training session at Agoge Club in late 2024. Photo courtesy of Agoge Club

At LC 5, 56 kg fighter Pham Ngoc Canh had to reduce his weight during the event but still exceeded the limit by 1 kg, leading to a 20% prize money deduction when he fought Nguyen Thanh Do.

At LC 22, Belarusian fighter Zakhar Dzmitrychenka had to cut more than 10 kg in about a month.

During his bout with Ha Van Hieu last month, Zakhar weighed 95 kg. By Thursday, he had traveled from Nha Trang to Hanoi, weighing nearly 90 kg. He then undertook weight-loss efforts like wearing a weight-cutting suit during training, resting under a silver foil blanket and soaking in hot saltwater baths.

He managed to reach the required 84 kg to compete for the title against Pham Cong Minh.

LC 22 MMA kicks off at 7:00 p.m. at the Tay Ho Gymnasium in Hanoi.