Payback On The Way:
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Payback On The Way: UFC 48 Weigh-Ins Signal Full Card For Saturday By Loretta Hunt Las Vegas was a bit subdued for a change today, at least at the UFC 48 weigh-ins held at the Mandalay Bay Arena, where sixteen fighters made their requisite weights with little drama and a lot more playfulness. It was hard to gauge if the turnout was a bit smaller than in recent memory, but they were certainly quieter, voicing sporadic cheers for a select few fighters. In all, the proceedings moved swiftly as all but two fighters came in on or under their allotted weights. Welterweight Renato "Charuto" Verissimo and middleweight Evan Tanner came in a scant half pound over, but the Nevada State Athletic Commission waved these two having to strip down to their birthday suits. Rewinding backwards….
Main eventers Ken Shamrock and Kimo were the final pair to make their way to the stage. The reserved, but always somewhat foreboding Kimo quietly weighed in at a fit-looking 244 pounds. Shamrock received the heartiest ovation of all the fighters, and betrayed a look of surprise when the scale was adjusted to 218 pounds, having thought he might come in a few pounds lighter. At 26 pounds, the spread was the largest of the card. The master of the MMA staredown, Shamrock moved a step or two closer to enunciate his conviction to both his opponent and the crowd. Although this reprise of their tepid initial meeting from UFC 8 [Shamrock tapped Kimo out with a kneebar] might have a bit less heat than the two other scheduled rematches on tomorrow night’s card, there is no denying Shamrock’s continued popularity among the masses and his evident desire to deliver only his best possible performance to them in return. Heavyweight contenders Tim Sylvia and Frank Mir are both looking to slip into the vacant shoes of title holder tomorrow night. A bout that had originally been scheduled to anchor UFC 45 last November till steroid charges stripped then-champion Sylvia of the belt, Las Vegas native Mir went on to meet Hammer House prot posted by Full Contact Fighter @ 8:00 pm
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