Michael Bisping and Vitor Belfort made weight and managed to behave themselves on Friday, despite an incident between them at a news conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil the day before.
Set to headline a UFC on FX event this weekend, Bisping shoved Belfort then ripped into him to the media on Thursday after the Brazilian touched his face during a traditional pre-fight staredown.
Bisping has questioned his opponent's character ever since Belfort appeared to sidestep questions regarding testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in a recent interview with ESPN.com.
"Do I have to bring my mouthpiece to the weigh-ins?" Bisping said. "Can he control himself? Is roid-rage going to kick in? Is TRT an issue? Are his levels elevated?'
Belfort kept his distance during the official weigh-in, despite gestures from Bisping pleading him to come closer. Both fighters made weight on first attempt.
Bisping (23-4) has been promised a title shot against reigning champion Anderson Silva if he's victorious Saturday.
At a news conference in Las Vegas last month, UFC president Dana White confirmed Bisping would become the No. 1 contender with a win. The same offer has not been guaranteed to Belfort (21-10), as he suffered a first-round knockout loss to Silva in 2011.
"I've been here for seven years fighting the best consistently and I've never had a title shot," Bisping told ESPN.com earlier. "I'm by far the most deserving (of a shot)."
All the fighters set to compete on Saturday's main card successfully made weight. The event will take place at the Ibirapuera Gymnasium and is the UFC's first trip to Sao Paulo since October 1998.
Middleweight Daniel Sarafian (7-2) came in at 186 pounds for his UFC debut against C.B. Dollaway (12-4). Heavyweight Ben Rothwell (32-8) tipped the scales at 258 pounds for his bout against Gabriel Gonzaga (13-6). Gonzaga has not fought since a first-round win last January. He weighed 255 pounds.
