Minute by Minute: UFC 100 Weigh-In Blog

Would 5,000 people show up to watch Peyton Manning stare really, really hard at an opposing quarterback the day before a game?

There is no other major sport that attracts a crowd of thousands, television cameras, and media in order to witness some heavy tension, but here’s the exception: the UFC and their weigh-ins, which have by now become as accepted a ritual at events as getting drunk and nearly throwing up on Mandy Moore.

7:01 p.m. ET: Announcer Joe Rogan busts out the f-word, just to stick it to those mainstream cameras. Shannon Gugerty is first to take the stage. 156 lbs. Matt Grice clocks in at 155.

7:03 p.m. ET: Tom Lawlor instantly endears himself to hardcores by paying homage to the “Just Bleed” drunkard from the early days. I was too mesmerized to even catch his weight. Opponent CB Dollaway is 186.

7:06 p.m. ET: Lawlor’s is a tough act to follow. T.J. Grant is 170. Dong Hyun Kim is 171.

7:07 p.m. ET: Jake O'Brien appears to be hit from a shrink ray from his heavyweight days: 206 lbs. Jon Jones gets a big reaction. 206.

7:09 p.m. ET: Jim Miller is a lean 155, Mac Danzig a dehydrated 154.

7:11 p.m. ET: Stephan Bonnar keeps his composure as he undresses to face Mark Coleman. He pulls out his cell phone to say hi to his mom in a bit that falls somewhat flat. 206 lbs. Mark Coleman steps to the scale, visibly winded. He looks up at the clock. 205 lbs.

7:12 p.m. ET: Thiago pushes over Coleman’s limp body on the scale in order to step on. 170. Jon Fitch is a sinewy 170.

7:14 p.m. ET: Alan Belcher has a tattoo of either Elvis or Chuck Zito on his left arm [ed: it's Johnny Cash]. 186 lbs. Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama is a very tanned 185 lbs.

7:16 p.m. ET: Bisping comes out to crowd love worthy of Madoff. He’s clearly enjoying the repulsion. 185 lbs. Dan Henderson gets a much better reception, pandering to the crowd with a US flag t-shirt. 185 lbs.

7:18 p.m. ET: Thiago Alves comes out to a mixed reaction. 170 on the button. Georges St. Pierre is sporting an elbow goiter. If that thing pops mid-fight, good luck to the front row. 170.

7:22 p.m. ET: Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir are queued up. If Lesnar doesn’t make 265, he might double-leg the scale; Rogan announces that a 92 lb. allowance will be made for Mir’s ego.

Mir is in tremendous shape. 245, lighter than he’s been since -- ever? Lesnar gets a smattering of boos. He tosses his t-shirt into the crowd. 265. Some pec jiggling for the ladies.