Stepping in on less than two weeks’ notice for Ramazan Emeev, Williams weighed in at 176 pounds on Friday for his preliminary welterweight bout with Claudio Silva at UFC on ESPN 5 in Newark, New Jersey, five pounds over the limit (including a one-pound allowance).
Officials told MMA Fighting’s Danny Segura that the bout will proceed with Williams forfeiting 30 percent of his purse to Silva.
Williams (11-1) will be making his UFC debut on the strength of nine consecutive wins, while Silva (13-1) looks for his 14th straight win and fifth in the UFC.