Ye Chen was a force of nature, a sizable athlete. Without the aid of the simulation space, a lightweight like him would have needed to sacrifice an arm just to make weight.
At this moment, however, he looked fragile, his cheeks hollow and eyes sunken as if he might collapse any second. But despite his appearance, shedding pounds had never been so effortless for him. Only those who lacked determination could compare to his journey.
"155 pounds! Ye Chen has officially weighed in as a lightweight!" The weigh-in official shouted, but the buzz of conversation around him refused to die down. Even the girls in the crowd, accustomed to this world, wore expressions of disbelief.
"Can he still compete after this?" one whispered.
"Why is he so thin? He's overdoing it."
"I used to back him, but now… I'm not so sure."
"He's talented, but this look is downright alarming."
"I heard he doesn't even have a team. Seems true—just look at him on weigh-in day."
"No way he'll last like this! Just practicing on his own? Who does he think he is—Master Ye?"
"Come on, Master Ye didn't just wing it. He had a team once. Even after parting ways, he still employed trainers to prepare for fights."
"Yeah, when have you seen Master Ye without a corner? This Ye Chen seems lost, though."
…
And then there was the fight night.
With the crowd's excitement ramped up and media buzzing, the moment the weigh-in footage dropped, Ye Chen became the talk of the town.
"WTF, is this the guy who two months ago knocked out Li Zhengyong with a single punch?"
"Does this guy think he can bully the competition based on weight? Isn't he risking his health?"
"Maybe UFC should ditch the dehydration weigh-ins and just weigh fighters when they step into the octagon. Less shamelessness that way."
"Are you even listening? There are only a few weight classes in UFC. To keep it competitive, fighters often dehydrate. If they had more stringent weight classes, you'd end up with only a handful of fighters per class. Would that be fun?"
"Dehydration is one thing, but it boils down to recovery. If you don't recover well, who's really getting taken advantage of?"
"You think Ye Chen is in trouble? Kevin Lee once weighed 183 pounds, and Oliveira tipped the scales at 183 as well. Some have the knack for weight loss."
…
After weighing in, Ye Chen wasted no time. He replenished with food and water like a man starved. The past two days had seen him eating almost nothing—just the bare essentials handed out by the UFC, with an odd candy here and there to stave off fainting spells.
In truth, some online commenters had a point. There was a tactical edge to being heavier on fight day, but that was how the rules rolled; whining didn't change the game.
It's common for lightweights to bounce back over 180 pounds after weigh-ins. Ye Chen was pushing those limits as well. When he faced Li Zhengyong before, he kept a close watch on his weight. Losing it isn't simple: athletes have an entire system in place, starting from a manageable weight—170 pounds if need be—then dehydrating down to make the 155-pound mark before weigh-ins. It's an arduous task that takes months of planning. There have been cases of tragic outcomes from dehydration.
During his last fight, Ye Chen figured it best to stabilize around 180 pounds before dehydrating down. That made the process smoother, and he managed a 176-pound return for the match. This time, he aimed for 185—dehydrating all the way down to make his weight. A feat, indeed, but he'd pushed his limits to the edge. Just how well would he recover?
…
Across the country, eyes were glued to Ye Chen as the fight loomed, especially within the tight-knit mixed martial arts community. Small channels and social media had everyone talking about the upcoming skirmish.
In an online poll, when asked to predict the fight outcome, Ye Chen had garnered 206 votes versus Jima's 469—a sizeable gap that told its own story. Despite Ye Chen's shocking past performance, skepticism lingered.
"He's up against a legit wrestler this time; what chance does he have?" someone commented.
"Can he even fend off grappling? Once he hits the ground…"
"He should take on some stand-up fighters first. Jumping straight into this match feels reckless."
"Right? Speaking of teams, remember Gazi's crew? Zhenlang, right? Ha."
"I saw him hanging out with the likes of Brother Liang and Burns—if only he took training more seriously, he might join the top ranks soon."
"Come on, let's not kid ourselves, this guy's a long shot."
"Just because he hasn't lost yet doesn't mean he's a contender. What's his weight class? What's he even doing in FC?"
…
This weigh-in had been relatively uneventful. No trash talk from the opponent. Ye Chen kept mum, too.
Finally, the night of the fight descended, thick with anticipation.