5 UFC fighters who appeared to be out of shape at a weigh-in

#2. Nick Diaz – UFC 266

Fans were worried about Nick Diaz when he appeared to be in worse shape than usual at UFC 266

Okay, so it’s safe to say that, by the standards of your average human being, Nick Diaz was in absolutely phenomenal shape coming into his recent comeback at UFC 266.

However, by his own lofty standards, Diaz simply didn’t look quite himself for his big rematch with Robbie Lawler.

The native of Stockton, California was once renowned for his incredible cardio. He would regularly compete in triathlons during the periods between his visits to the octagon. Unsurprisingly, his physique backed this up as, at most UFC weigh-ins, he didn’t appear to have an ounce of bodyfat on him.

That changed going into UFC 266. Rumors of Diaz’s partying lifestyle had been flying around the internet for a long time before his comeback. When the UFC released a video of him shadowboxing, longtime fans were immediately alarmed.

Diaz didn’t look anywhere near as chiseled as he once did. While he certainly wasn’t sporting a “dad-bod”, it didn’t bode well for his hopes in the octagon.

Sure enough, Diaz fans’ worst fears were confirmed when he requested his fight with Lawler be changed from a welterweight bout to a middleweight one. He then showed up to the UFC 266 weigh-in looking nowhere near as ripped as usual.

Rumors of a pre-fight injury seemed to gain credence. When Diaz failed to really impress in the fight – going down in the third round via TKO – they seemed even more likely.

Whether or not he really was injured remains unknown, but it was clear from his shape at the weigh-in that something wasn’t quite right.

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#1. Ben Askren – Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren

Former UFC star Ben Askren appeared to be in alarming shape for his recent fight with Jake Paul

Sure, Ben Askren’s fight with Jake Paul didn’t take place in the UFC – in fact, it was a boxing match rather than an MMA fight. However, ‘Funky’ still deserves a spot on a list like this, purely because the shape that the former UFC welterweight contender showed up in was so alarming.

Despite being a former Olympian and one of the most decorated wrestlers in MMA history, Askren never really boasted an intimidating physique like some of the other fighters in the sport.

Quite simply, he didn’t really need to be heavily muscled – his wrestling skill often allowed him to easily take down and embarrass opponents who, to the untrained eye, would’ve been expected to destroy him.

By the time ‘Funky’ moved to the UFC, though, he was coming towards the end of his athletic prime. He failed to show his best in the octagon, losing two of his three bouts there, and retired in late 2019 following a defeat to Demian Maia.

In early 2021, though, it was announced that Askren would be making his return to competition – not in the UFC, but in a boxing match against YouTube superstar Jake Paul.

Many fans actually picked Askren to win the bout, despite the fact that he’d never really looked like a great striker during his MMA career. The argument went that Askren, unlike Paul, had at least fought in bouts with genuine opponents.

When the weigh-ins for the fight took place, however, it immediately became clear that ‘Funky’ wasn’t in the shape to really fight anyone.

Sporting a gut and love handles, Askren looked like he hadn’t been training hard at all – which was probably the case given that he’d had serious hip surgery in mid-2020.

At any rate, the fight went just as badly for Askren as the weigh-in suggested it would, as Paul knocked him out in the first round. Despite this, ‘Funky’ was reportedly paid handsomely for his efforts – making showing up in bad shape worth it in the end.