Las Vegas Sun

Currently: 70° | Complete forecast |

UFC on Fox 7 weigh-in: Mir and Cormier jaw; headliners cut it close

All 24 fighters on target with weight, but not without a couple incidents of suspense

UFC 146 Weigh-in

Leila Navidi

Frank Mir weighs in for UFC 146 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Friday, May 25, 2012.

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Frank Mir talked first this time.

A day after Mir and Daniel Cormier had a minor altercation during a face-off photo, the heavyweights were at it again at Friday’s UFC on Fox 7 weigh-in. After Mir stepped on the scale at 257 pounds, he immediately approached Cormier (235) to pose for another photo and animatedly shared some words.

Cormier chirped back. UFC President Dana White allowed the jawing for a few seconds before separating the two top-10 ranked rivals.

The former UFC heavyweight champion and final Strikeforce heavyweight champion turned to the crowd and received raucous applause.

If the scene at the weigh-in was indicative of the atmosphere to expect at tomorrow’s UFC on Fox 7, which begins at 12:30 in the afternoon before the main card airs at 5, then the promotion’s third trip to San Jose will be a memorable one.

Fans packed the approximately 1,200-person capacity venue and roared at the sight of the fighters — especially in the last three bouts.

In between the appearance of Mir and Cormier, there were two tense moments among the headlining crop of fighters.

The crowd fell dead silent when lightweight champion Benson Henderson walked out and called for a towel so he could weigh-in naked. That usually means a fighter could miss weight, but Henderson registered at precisely the 155-pound limit.

Henderson showed symptoms of a rough weight cut, as he downed a water bottle of more than 32 ounces while squaring off with former Strikeforce champion Gilbert Melendez (154).

“This is something I’ve been working towards for 15 years,” Melendez said in a video shown at the event. “This win in the UFC would be a dream come true.”

Click to enlarge photo

Lightweight fighter Nate Diaz stands on the scale behind a towel after coming in one pound overweight during the UFC 141 weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden Arena Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. Diaz came back later and made weight.

Nate Diaz provided as much suspense as Henderson when coming out before his lightweight bout with Josh Thomson. For the third time in his last four fights, Diaz missed the mark on his first attempt.

The nearby Stockton, Calif., native weighed in at 157 pounds before also calling for the towel. After several moments spent on the scale, UFC commentator Joe Rogan announced Diaz hit 156 pounds to make the bout official.

Diaz and San Jose-based Thomson (155) got close and glared at each other to the delight of the fans, which greeted both Northern California natives positively.

Diaz and Thomson are coming off of losses to Henderson and Melendez, respectively.

“We’re the best fighters on the planet,” Henderson said. “We’re going to find out who really is the best.”

Find full results from the UFC on Fox 7 weigh-in below.

Lightweight championship bout: Benson Henderson (155) vs. Gilbert Melendez (154)

Heavyweight bout: Frank Mir (257) vs. Daniel Cormier (235)

Lightweight bout: Nate Diaz (156) vs. Josh Thomson (155)

Welterweight bout: Matt Brown (171) vs. Jordan Mein (170)

Featherweight bout: Chad Mendes (146) vs. Darren Elkins (145)

Middleweight bout: Francis Carmont (186) vs. Lorenz Larkin (186)

Lightweight bout: Ramsey Nijem (156) vs. Miles Jury (156)

Flyweight bout: Joseph Benavidez (125) vs. Darren Uyenoyama (125)

Lightweight bout: Tim Means (156) vs. Jorge Masvidal (156)

Bantamweight bout: T.J. Dillashaw (136) vs. Hugo Viana (135)

Lightweight bout: Anthony Njokuani (155) vs. Roger Bowling (156)

Middleweight bout: Clifford Starks (185) vs. Yoel Romero (185)

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

Join the Discussion:

Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.

Full comments policy