Mitch Raposo will be making his UFC debut on short notice at UFC 302 but his head coach, Tyson Chartier, could not be more upset with the situation. After twice failing to break into the promotion as a competitor on The Ultimate Fighter and Dana White’s Contender Series, Raposo received the call to get his shot 10 days out against Andre Lima.
Lima is also a veteran of Dana White’s Contender Series, winning his fight with Rickson Zenidim on the show to receive a contract with the promotion.
Tyson Charter Blasts Andre Lima for Missing Weight at UFC 302
We accepted this fight on 10 days notice and made championship weight. Our opponent missed by 4lbs. Not happy about it but unfortunately this is sometimes part of the game. Mitch is a gamer and is here to fight regardless. Fights is STILL ON #ufc302
— Tyson Chartier (@TysonChartier) May 31, 2024
Just hours after the fighters weighed in ahead of UFC 302, New England Cartel leader Tyson Chartier chastised Andre Lima for being the only fighter to miss weight. Charter pointed out the fact that his fighter, Mitch Raposo, accepted the matchup on 10 days’ notice and still weighed in at the contracted limit.
Charter tweeted:
“We accepted this fight on 10 days’ notice and made championship weight. Our opponent missed by [four pounds]. Not happy about it but unfortunately this is sometimes part of the game. Mitch is a gamer and is here to fight regardless. Fight is STILL ON #UFC302”
Historically, fighters who miss weight and still compete have won their fights much more often than not. Lima is currently over a 2-1 favorite to pick up his second win in the UFC against Raposo.
Andre Lima’s First UFC Fight
Most casual MMA fans will not recall Andre Lima by name but will recognize the flyweight for his unfortunately memorable UFC debut.
In his first official fight in the promotion, Lima was on the receiving end of a disqualifying bite from his opponent, the also debuting Igor Severino. After the chaos had settled, an angry Dana White immediately cut Severino while making Lima the first fighter to receive what he called the “I got f****** bit bonus” of $50,000.
Hours after the event, Lima shared with fans that he immortalized the bite mark on his arm with a tattoo. White and supporters loved the comedic act that led to the Brazilian turning a negative incident into a positive situation.
Who is Mitch Raposo?
In his third shot to pick up a win in the UFC Octagon, Mitch Raposo will make his promotional debut on short notice as a replacement for Nyamjargal Tumendeberel against Andre Lima at UFC 302. At 25 years old, Raposo owns a 9-1 professional record and enters the fight on a four-fight win streak.
While Raposo officially only has one loss, he also lost on season 29 of The Ultimate Fighter to Liudvik Sholinian in an exhibition bout. Roughly six months after the defeat on the reality television series, Raposo suffered his first official loss to Jake Hadley. Both of the blemishes in Raposo’s career occurred in the UFC APEX.
Outside of the UFC APEX, Raposo has torn through regional competition, most recently becoming the Cage Titans flyweight champion in January with a fourth-round TKO win over Justin Valentin. At the time of accepting the short-notice challenge in the first fight of UFC 302, Raposo had signed on to make his second appearance in Dana White’s Contender Series and was expected to compete in August against Jack Duffy.
About the Author
Jaren Kawada is a freelance sports writer from Indianapolis, Indiana with a strong passion for MMA and sports betting. Kawada has also written for Sportskeeda MMA, FanSided MMA, and BetSided as a combat sports analyst. Follow on X/Twitter at @jarenkawada1.
For More Great Content
Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy
