Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott successfully made weight for the UFC Winnipeg main event. Russian fighters Mark Vologdin and Darya Zheleznyakova also cleared the weigh-in process. In an update, Thiago Moises and John Castaneda made weight on their second attempts, keeping all fights intact. Notably, Castaneda had requested a catchweight bout at 63 kg the previous evening, which Vologdin accepted, with Castaneda agreeing to forfeit 30% of his purse to Vologdin as compensation for the weight accommodation.
All bouts at UFC Winnipeg are officially intact after the event's weigh-in concluded, with every fighter clearing the scales ahead of Saturday's card.
Gilbert Burns, the 39-year-old Brazilian welterweight ranked 13th in his division, made weight without issue for the main event. Fighting out of Kill Cliff FC, Burns carries a 22-10-0 record and brings a well-rounded offensive game to the octagon, averaging 3.15 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy alongside 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes. His opponent, Mike Malott, also cleared the mark, keeping the headliner on schedule.
Russian fighters Mark Vologdin and Darya Zheleznyakova both passed the weigh-in process. Vologdin's bout against John Castaneda came with an added wrinkle: the previous evening, Castaneda had requested a catchweight allowance of 63 kilograms, which Vologdin agreed to accept. Under the terms of that arrangement, Castaneda will forfeit 30 percent of his purse to Vologdin as compensation. Castaneda, a 34-year-old switch-stance fighter from the United States representing The Academy, holds a 21-8-1 record and is one of the more active strikers on the card, averaging 4.42 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy. He ultimately made weight on a second attempt.
Brazilian lightweight Thiago Moises also required a second attempt to hit his number. The 31-year-old American Top Team product carries a 19-10-0 record and brings submission threat to his fights, averaging 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Burns needs a strong performance to climb back up a crowded welterweight division from his current ranking of 13th.
- The Castaneda-Vologdin catchweight agreement shifts financial stakes before the fighters even step inside the cage.
- Moises and Castaneda both needing second weigh-in attempts adds a conditioning question heading into their respective bouts.
