The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is making a highly anticipated return to Brazil, and fans are buzzing with excitement after the official UFC Rio weigh-ins were completed. This event features a twelve-fight card, headlined by an electrifying matchup between former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira and late-replacement Mateusz Gamrot.
Both fighters successfully made weight for their five-round main event, setting the stage for what promises to be a thrilling contest. However, there was a notable exception at the weigh-ins: Saimon Oliveira missed the bantamweight limit by a significant eight pounds. Weighing in at 144 pounds for his bout against Luan Lacerda, Saimon will face a hefty penalty, as he has been fined 50% of his purse due to this infraction. Moreover, if Saimon exceeds 155 pounds during the official weigh-in on Saturday afternoon, the fight will unfortunately be canceled.
Charles Oliveira, sporting a record of 35 wins, 11 losses, and 1 no contest (35-11, 1 NC), is eager to bounce back from a devastating knockout loss to Ilia Topuria in June. This match could be one of Oliveira’s last opportunities to reclaim the lightweight title he once held, and he officially weighed in at 156 pounds for the main event. Despite recent setbacks against top contenders like Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev, Oliveira has demonstrated his resilience and capability with impressive victories over fighters such as Michael Chandler and Beneil Dariush.
On the other side of the octagon, Mateusz Gamrot, with an impressive record of 25 wins and 3 losses (25-3, 1 NC), is no stranger to competition. The 34-year-old has won four of his last five fights, rebounding from a split-decision defeat to Dan Hooker by defeating Ludovit Klein in his latest bout. Key victories against fighters like Rafael dos Anjos and Rafael Fiziev have solidified Gamrot's position as a serious contender in the lightweight division. He also weighed in at 156 pounds, ready to make his mark in the main event.
UFC Rio will be broadcast in its entirety on ESPN+ this coming Saturday. Fans can catch the preliminary fights starting at 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT, followed by the main card, which takes off at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT. This event is poised to be one of the most exciting showcases in mixed martial arts, especially with the Brazilian crowd rallying behind their local hero, Oliveira.
Here’s a comprehensive list of the weigh-in results for the UFC Rio event:
Charles Oliveira (156) vs. Mateusz Gamrot (156) Deiveson Figueiredo (136) vs. Montel Jackson (136) Joel Alvarez (171) vs. Vicente Luque (170) Jhonata Diniz (257) vs. Mario Pinto (255) Kaan Ofli (145.5) vs. Ricardo Ramos (146) Lucas Almeida (145.5) vs. Michael Aswell (145.5) Clayton Carpenter (126) vs. Jafel Filho (126) Thomas Petersen (246.5) vs. Vitor Petrino (250) Irina Alekseeva (135.5) vs. Beatriz Mesquita (136) Stewart Nicoll (126) vs. Lucas Rocha (126) Karolina Kowalkiewicz (116) vs. Julia Polastri (116) Luan Lacerda (136) vs. Saimon Oliveira (144)**Note: Oliveira missed weight by eight pounds and has been fined 50% of his purse.
As UFC Rio approaches, fans are eager to see if Charles Oliveira can reclaim his former glory and if Mateusz Gamrot can continue his upward trajectory in the lightweight ranks. This event is a must-watch for any MMA enthusiast!
