Thompson-Pereira scratched from UFC 291

UFC 291 is down one of its marquee fights just hours before the start of the event.

Welterweights Stephen Thompson and Michel Pereira will not square off Saturday night in Salt Lake City after Pereira missed weight by three pounds, the UFC announced Friday.

Thompson said in a statement on Twitter that he turned the fight down. "Wonderboy" pointed to a 2018 loss to Darren Till - before which Till missed weight - as a sign that he shouldn't go forward with the Pereira matchup.

"This isn't the first time I've had an opponent miss weight, and given how that played out previously, myself and my team felt that it's ultimately not smart for us to move forward with this fight," Thompson wrote.

Thompson said he hopes his decision encourages fighters to make weight and others in his situation to follow in his footsteps.

"Fighters who miss weight face far too few consequences and are often allowed to fight with a significant competitive advantage," Thompson wrote.

"I'm healthy, and I will look to get back in the Octagon ASAP, but on a level playing field as I continue to pursue my quest of winning the UFC welterweight title," he added.

It appeared to take several hours to determine whether the fight would happen, which is rare. UFC commentator Jon Anik said at weigh-ins that an announcement could take a while, according to ESPN's Marc Raimondi.

Thompson-Pereira was scheduled for the main card. The UFC elevated a heavyweight bout between Derrick Lewis and Marcos Rogerio de Lima to pay-per-view.

Thompson, a former two-time title challenger, was looking to earn his second straight win after finishing Kevin Holland in a UFC Fight Night main event last December.

Pereira is riding a five-fight winning streak and could have entered the title mix with a win over Thompson, who's ranked No. 7 in the division. Pereira is No. 15.

This is the second time Pereira missed weight in his four-year UFC career.

UFC 291 will proceed with 11 bouts, including a BMF title rematch between Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje in the main event.