Main event official!
@KarateHottieMMA
is officially in at 125 lbs for
#UFCVegas26. pic.twitter.com/1XDKwR2flM— UFC (@ufc)
May 7, 2021
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC live on
your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the
ESPN app. In what should be a formality, the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s weigh-ins for its upcoming
card were anything but.
The
UFC on ESPN 24 headlining bout between Marina
Rodriguez and Michelle
Waterson is now official after the weigh-ins took place this
morning. Neither main eventer had trouble making weight for the
short-notice bout since they both normally compete at strawweight,
but the same could not be said for the rest of the card.
A flyweight contest between Ryan Benoit
and Zarrukh
Adashev was called off after Benoit was ruled ineligible by
doctors. Benoit was unable to stand still on his initial weigh-in
try, then minutes later came in at 129 pounds, three pounds over
the flyweight limit. Diego
Ferreira also badly missed the lightweight limit by 4.5 pounds,
putting his fight against Gregor
Gillespie in jeopardy. Ferreira has been fined 30 percent of
his purse, and for now the fight will carry on at a catchweight.
Finally, the heavyweight tilt pitting Ben Rothwell
and Philipe
Lins is also off due to a Lins illness, according to
Rothwell and confirmed by the UFC.
Headlining her first UFC card is Rodriguez (13-1-2). The Brazilian
fighter is coming off an impressive TKO victory over Amanda
Ribas, and she sports wins over both Tecia
Torres and Jessica
Aguilar as well. Prior to smashing Ribas, the 34-year-old lost
a split decision to former strawweight queen Carla
Esparza and went to a majority draw against Cynthia
Calvillo. Rodriguez stepped on the scale at 125.5 pounds.
Meanwhile, this is the fourth main event for Waterson (18-8), who
has found herself accustomed to being in the spotlight. “The Karate
Hottie” is coming off of a five-round split-decision win over
Angela
Hill, and will look to keep her momentum going. Waterson also
has a recent split decision defeat to Esparza, and came up short in
a one-sided battle with former champion Joanna
Jedrzejczyk. Ever the professional, Waterson had no issue
making the specially contracted limit, and officially weighed 125
pounds on the dot.
The UFC on ESPN 24 main card will air simultaneously on ESPN and
ESPN+ starting at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT. Fans will be able to catch
the prelim fights at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.
UFC on ESPN 24 Weigh-in Results:
Marina
Rodriguez (125.5) vs. Michelle
Waterson (125)
Donald
Cerrone (170) vs. Alex Morono
(170.5)
Neil
Magny (170.5) vs. Geoff Neal
(171)
Maurice
Greene (237) vs. Marcos
Rogerio de Lima (264.5)
Diego
Ferreira (160.5)* vs. Gregor
Gillespie (156)
Amanda
Ribas (115.5) vs. Angela Hill
(116)
Ben
Rothwell (264.5) vs. Philipe
Lins (N/A)**
Phil
Hawes (186) vs. Kyle
Daukaus (186)
Ludovit
Klein (146) vs. Michael
Trizano (146)
Ryan
Benoit (129)*** vs. Zarrukh
Adashev (125.5)
Tafon
Nchukwi (186) vs. Jun Yong
Park (186)
Christian
Aguilera (170.5) vs. Carlston
Lindsay Harris (170.5)
* Ferreira missed weight by 4.5 pounds and has been fined 30
percent of his purse.
** Lins fell ill before weigh-ins and the fight has been
canceled.
*** Benoit missed weight by three pounds and the fight has been
canceled. 
