The main event for UFC Winnipeg is officially confirmed after Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott successfully made weight. Russian fighters Mark Vologdin and Daria Zheleznyakova also made their contracted weights without issue. Thiago Moises and John Castaneda required a second attempt to make weight but ultimately succeeded, keeping all bouts intact. Castaneda had requested a catchweight bout at 63 kg the previous evening, which Vologdin accepted, and Castaneda will forfeit 30% of his purse to Vologdin as a result. All fights for the event are now official.
All bouts for UFC Winnipeg are officially on after the full card cleared the scales on Friday, with the main event between Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott confirmed following a smooth weigh-in for both fighters.
Burns, the 39-year-old Brazilian welterweight out of Kill Cliff FC, enters the bout ranked 13th in the division carrying a 22-10 record. The southpaw-pressuring veteran lands 3.15 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy and adds a consistent wrestling threat, averaging 2.12 takedown attempts per 15 minutes.
Russian fighters Mark Vologdin and Daria Zheleznyakova both made their contracted weights without incident. Vologdin's bout against John Castaneda did require some last-minute negotiation, however. Castaneda requested a catchweight of 63 kilograms the evening before the event, which Vologdin agreed to accept. As a result, Castaneda will forfeit 30 percent of his purse to his opponent. The 34-year-old American, who fights out of The Academy under the nickname "Sexi Mexi," holds a 21-8-1 record and ranks among the busier strikers on the card, landing 4.42 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy.
Thiago Moises also needed a second trip to the scales before hitting his mark. The 31-year-old Brazilian from American Top Team carries a 19-10 record and brings a well-rounded game, averaging 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes to complement his 1.31 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- Burns and Malott making weight without issue locks in a welterweight main event with divisional ranking implications for the 13th-ranked Burns
- Castaneda's purse penalty and the agreed catchweight add an unusual financial and competitive wrinkle heading into his fight with Vologdin
- Both Moises and Castaneda's scale struggles raised late concern but all bouts remain intact, keeping the full card intact for fight night
