The main event is as @EdsonBarbozaJR and @Justin_Gaethje both hit 155.5 lbs #UFCPhiladelphia pic.twitter.com/4eFcAI7LcM
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 29, 2019
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is taking a trip to Philadelphia for the first time since 2011 with an event that all-but guarantees action and excitement, and is headlined by a lightweight barnburner between Edson Barboza and Justin Gaethje.
Barboza hit the scales at 155.5 pounds, as he prepares to face former World Series of Fighting lightweight champ Gaethje (155.5) in the UFC on ESPN 2 main event this Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Co-headlining the card will be a middleweight scrap between former WSOF two-division champion David Branch (185.5) and Jack Hermansson (185), and all four made weight easily at Friday’s official weigh-ins.
UFC on ESPN 2 “Barboza vs. Gaethje,” which airs live on ESPN on Saturday, March 29 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, also features a featherweight matchup between Team Alpha MMA product Josh Emmett (145.75) and Michael Johnson (146). A pair of women’s strawweights will square off, as former Invicta Fighting Championships atomweight champ Michelle Waterson (115.5) meets former KSW flyweight queen Karolina Kowalkiewicz (114.75).
At light heavyweight, former BAMMA light heavyweight king Paul Craig (205) contends with the unbeaten debutant Kennedy Nzechukwu (205.5). Rounding out the main card will be a featherweight battle between former WSOF bantamweight title challenger Sheymon Moraes (145) and Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series standout Sodiq Yusuff (145.5).
One fighter did miss weight: Ray Borg (*137.75), who came in 1.75 pounds over the bantamweight limit, and he has been fined 20 percent of his purse.
UFC on ESPN 2 Weigh-in Results, Courtesy of MMAJunkie.com:
Edson Barboza (155.5) vs. Justin Gaethje (155.5)
David Branch (185.5) vs. Jack Hermansson (185)
Josh Emmett (145.75) vs. Michael Johnson (146)
Michelle Waterson (115.5) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (114.75)
Paul Craig (205) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (205.5)
Sheymon Moraes (145) vs. Sodiq Yusuff (145.5)
Jessica Aguilar (115.25) vs. Marina Rodriguez (114.75)
Ross Pearson (155.25) vs. Desmond Green (155)
Kevin Aguilar (145) vs. Enrique Barzola (145)
Kevin Holland (185) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (185.5)
Ray Borg (*137.75) vs. Casey Kenney (135.5)
Maryna Moroz (125.25) vs. Sabina Mazo (125.5)
Alex Perez (135.25) vs. Mark De La Rosa (135.5)
* Borg missed weight by 1.75 pounds and has been fined 20 percent of his purse.