Emil Meek Required to Shave Beard by Ontario Commission Ahead of UFC 206 Bout

Norwegian welterweight Emil Weber Meek will be forced to change his trademark look ahead of his UFC debut.

Meek revealed on his Instagram account that the Ontario Athletic Commission forced him to shave his beard ahead of his UFC 206 matchup with Jordan Mein.

“I was just [told] by the Ontario state commission that I had to shave my beard….No I’m not f—-ing kidding,” Meek wrote. “Even [matchmaker] Sean Shelby said it was ridiculous…As much as I want to keep my beard, I want to fight more.”

According to the Ontario Athletic Commission rules for appearance, “all contestants shall be cleanly shaven immediately prior to competition, except that a contestant may wear a closely cropped mustache.”

Meek, 28, enters his promotional debut on a three-fight winning streak, including a 45-second knockout of UFC veteran Rousimar Palhares in his most recent appearance at Venator FC 3 on May 21.