UFC Charlotte weigh-in results: Jairzinho Rozenstruik has 34-pound edge over Jailton Almeida, one prelim fight canceled

Jailton Almeida has another giant to slay.

The Brazilian heavyweight contender — who was also competed at 205 pounds — came in at 231 pounds at the official weigh-ins for UFC Charlotte on Friday, 34 pounds lighter than Jairzinho Rozenstruik (265). Almeida and Rozenstruik square off in Saturday’s main event.

This is nothing new for Almeida, who gave up similar poundage to previous heavyweight opponents Shamil Abdurakhimov and Parker Porter. “Malhadinho” is currently No. 9 in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, with Rozenstruik four spots behind at No. 13.

Co-main event light heavyweight contenders Anthony Smith and Johnny Walker also made their fight official by successfully making weight.

While the main card remained intact, the preliminary card took a hit. Officials announced during Friday’s official weigh-ins that a lightweight bout between Natan Levy and Pete Rodriguez has been cancelled due to weight management issues on Rodriguez’s side. This was to be Rodriguez’s first fight at 155 pounds.

Levy and his team expressed their frustration via social media, with Levy calling Rodriguez “Fat Pete” and claiming that Rodriguez was offered multiple catchweight alternatives that were declined.

See Levy and his coach Eric Nicksick’s comments below.

“He blew my opportunity to perform, earn a bonus and make history tomorrow,” Levy wrote. “He probably killed his own career. Extremely unprofessional.”

“They asked for a catchweight so I agreed to fight him at 158, then they asked for 160 and I said, ‘Yes,’ already being below that weight,” he added. “I heard he was crying and losing his s*** and quit at 162. If you can cry you still got water in you homie.”

According to Nicksick, doctors told Rodriguez he would not be permitted to compete.

Levy and Rodriguez were actually scheduled to compete against one another at UFC Vegas 72 two weeks ago, but Rodriguez withdrew from that booking due to an illness.

Of the 22 fighters who showed up, two failed to make weight: Welterweights Bryan Battle and Daniel Rodriguez. Battle weighed in at 173 pounds, two pounds over the limit for a non-title bout, for his preliminary matchup with Gabe Green (170.5), while Rodriguez was half a pound over for his main card fight against Ian Machado Garry (170.5).

Rodriguez was allowed an additional hour to cut the half pound and later successfully weighed in at 170 pounds. His bout with Machado Garry proceeds as scheduled.

Battle’s bout with Green will proceed as a catchweight with Battle forfeiting 20 percent of his purse as penalty.

See official UFC Charlotte weigh-in results below.

Main Card (ABC and ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET)

Jairzinho Rozenstruik (265) vs. Jailton Almeida (231)

Anthony Smith (205.5) vs. Johnny Walker (205.5)

Daniel Rodriguez (170)* vs. Ian Machado Garry (170.5)

Carlos Ulberg (204.5) vs. Ihor Potieria (204.5)

Tim Means (170.5) vs. Alex Morono (169.5)

Preliminary Card (ESPN and ESPN+ at 12 p.m. ET)

Matt Brown (170) vs. Court McGee (170.5)

Karl Williams (239.5) vs. Chase Sherman (254)

Cody Stamann (139) vs. Douglas Silva de Andrade (139.5) — 140-pound catchweight

Natan Levy vs. Pete Rodriguez — cancelled**

Ji Yeon Kim (126) vs. Mandy Bohm (126)

Bryan Battle (173)*** vs. Gabe Green (170.5)

Jessica-Rose Clark (135.5) vs. Tainara Lisboa (134)

*Daniel Rodriguez missed weight on first attempt, coming in at 171.5 pounds. He was given an additional hour to weigh in and hit the mark at 170

**The UFC announced that the lightweight bout between Natan Levy and Pete Rodriguez is off of Saturday’s card due to weight management issues on Rodriguez’s side

***Battle missed weight. His bout with Gabe Green will proceed as a catchweight with Battle forfeiting 20 percent of his purse as penalty