Adrien Broner Misses Weight. Gets Stripped Of WBA Title Ahead Of Fight With Ashley Theophane

(ESPN) As if Adrien Broner didn't have enough problems, he added one more to the list when he failed to make weight Thursday afternoon and was stripped of his junior welterweight world title.

Broner, who won the 140-pound belt by 12th-round knockout of Khabib Allakhverdiev in October, was due to defend it for the first time against England's Ashley Theophane in the main event of a Premier Boxing Champions card on Friday (Spike, 9 p.m. ET) at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C.

While Theophane was right on the division limit of 140 pounds, Broner was 140.4 pounds. He had two hours to lose the extra 0.4 pounds, but he never returned to the scale in an attempt to make weight.

The fight will still go on with Theophane able to win the vacant title. If Broner wins, the title will remain vacant.

In order for the fight to go forward, the Broner and Theophane camps made a deal under which Broner (31-2, 23 KOs), 26, of Cincinnati, will have to pay Theophane (39-6-1, 11 KOs) a portion of his purse. Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe, Theophane's promoter, said they made a deal, but he declined to disclose the terms. Multiple sources told ESPN.com that Broner would pay Theophane $50,000.

Broner has won world titles in four weight classes, but this is the second time he has been overweight and been stripped of a belt.

In July 2012, Broner was due to make the second defense of his junior lightweight world title against Vicente Escobedo, but he was well over the division limit of 130 pounds. Broner weighed 133½ pounds and was stripped. Escobedo, who made weight, was eligible to win the belt, but Broner knocked him out in the fifth round the next night, and the title remained vacant.

"It's an unfortunate situation," Ellerbe told ESPN.com. "It's very embarrassing and unprofessional. These young fighters need to understand the importance of taking their job very seriously and showing professionalism."

Regarding Broner not returning to the scale to at least try to make the weight, Ellerbe said, "That was his decision. It's a decision he made. I can tell you this: Ashley is focused, he's prepared and he's coming to win the WBA title."