The official weigh-in for UFC Charlotte on Friday saw Jairzinho Rozenstruik come in at 265 pounds and Jailton Almeida at 231, a 34 pound difference between the heavyweight contenders. The co-main event of Anthony Smith (205.5) and Johnny Walker (205) also went off without a hitch as both men successfully made weight. Unfortunately, the preliminary card suffered some hiccups when lightweight fighter Pete Rodriguez failed to make weight for his bout against Natan Levy.

Natan Levy, currently ranked No 9 in MMA Fighting Global Rankings, was understandably frustrated with his opponent’s failure to meet the contracted weight limit or even the catchweight they had agreed upon earlier. His coach Eric Nicksick took to social media where he revealed that doctors had pulled Rodriguez out of competition after he asked for two additional catchweights beyond what they had initially discussed.

“Had a feeling this would be the case seeing we had to move it 2 weeks ago,” wrote Nicksick referring back to their original booking on April 24th which saw an illness force Rodriguez from action just days before their fight.

Levy himself spoke up about his competitor’s behavior labeling him “Fat Pete” while noting that despite Rodriguez’s crying fit he refused to quit and still offered multiple catchweights until doctors told him otherwise.

“Just to be clear we were scheduled to fight at 155[lbs]. They asked for a catchweight so I agreed to fight him at 158 [lbs], then they asked for 160 [lbs] and I said ‘Yes’ already being below that weight… He blew my opportunity … Extremely unprofessional.” – Natan Levy

Things only got worse when welterweights Bryan Battle and Daniel Rodriguez both failed their respective weigh ins. Battle weighed 173 pounds, two over the limit while Rodriguez missed by half a pound. Both fighters were allowed an extra hour, but only Rodriguez managed hit his mark. His main card matchup with Ian Machado Garry (170.5) proceeded as scheduled, while Battle’s preliminary bout with Gabe Green (170.5) remains uncertain pending further decisions from UFC officials.

With one less prelim fight added onto its short list of four, Saturday’s final showdown between Jairzinho Rozenstruik (265) vs Jailton Almeida (231) takes center stage in Charlotte North Carolina.

Comments:

I heard that Pete Rodriguez was being an unprofessional crybaby and trying to ask for more catchweights than they agreed upon originally, it’s no wonder he got pulled out of competition

This seems like a clear abuse of the rules by Battle and Rodrigues, if UFC wants any respect from fighters in regards to weight restrictions they should take appropriate action against these athletes when they don’t comply with contractual agreements

If I’m not mistaken, this is the second time Battle tries to pull something like this off. He deserves some serious punishment if he doesn’t make weight on Saturday night.

Unprofessionalism at its finest – all fighters should follow specific guidelines regarding their health, safety, and performance expectations during weigh-ins before competing.

It really stinks that Natan Levy lost his opponent due to someone else’s mistake. Why can’t people just be honest about their weights? It would save so much hassle.

8: Sometimes fighters try pull stings with extra pounds in order gain a competitive advantage which is poor sportsmanship and shouldn’t be tolerated.

9: Let’s hope both Battle & Rodrigues are held accountable by UFC officials so everyone takes their responsibilities seriously in future events. A fair playing field is important!

10: Be professional when going up into a fight or you will face consequences! People who aren’t compliant need strict penalties as well as making sure everyone has an equal chance of success.

11: Weigh-in days are stressful but necessary – unfortunately some people seem unable keep their word and break contracts leading them disqualified from fights.

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