Vinc Pichel blasts Ismael Bonfim after UFC cancellation: 'I decided to take away his ability to fight and make money'
Vinc Pichel isn’t pleased with should-have-been opponent Ismael Bonfim’s blunder on the scale Friday in Sao Paulo.
Hours after Bonfim’s weight miss during the UFC Fight Night 231 official weigh-ins, Pichel (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) released a statement that voiced his displeasure. Bonfim (19-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) missed by 3.5 pounds and did not re-weigh in. Pichel initially weighed 157, but used additional time to come in at 155.5, under the lightweight limit.
Shortly after the fighters touched the scales, the promotion announced the fight was canceled. While it was not explicitly stated, Pichel indicated he declined the fight so as not to be complicit with an opponent who did not fulfill contractual obligations.
“So as you know my fight is cancelled,” Pichel wrote. “My opponent didn’t even try to make weight and I decided to take away his ability to fight and make money for this unprofessionalism which I’m sure he regrets. I am huge on self responsibility and he showed none by his actions and by missing weight by so much so I decided to give him some for his actions. I’m sorry to everyone who was excited to watch me throw down and also happy to ruin parlays against me at the same time. In my 15+ year career, I have never missed weight. If you are upset about my decision, I’m sorry but there is no one else to blame but my opponent. You will see me fight again soon!”
— Vinc Pichel (@FromHellPichel) November 3, 2023
Pichel, 40, has not competed since a March 2022 loss to Mark Madsen that snapped a three-fight winning streak. Bonfim had a 13-fight winning sneak snapped in July when he was submitted by Benoit Saint-Denis.
The full UFC Fight Night 231 lineup now includes:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 9 p.m. ET)
- Jailton Almeida vs. Derrick Lewis
- Gabriel Bonfim vs. Nicolas Dalby
- Don’Tale Mayes vs. Rodrigo Nascimento
- Caio Borralho vs. Abus Magomedov
- Armen Petrosyan vs. Rodolfo Vieira
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET)
- Elves Brener vs. Kaynan Kruschewsky – 165-pound contract weight
- Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
- Modestas Bukauskas vs. Vitor Petrino
- Denise Gomes vs. Angela Hill
- Montserrat Conejo vs. Eduarda Moura – 119.5 catchweight (Moura missed weight)
- Marc Diakiese vs. Kaue Fernandes
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 231.