The main event of UFC Winnipeg is officially confirmed after Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott successfully weighed in for their welterweight bout. Russian fighters Mark Vologdin and Daria Zheleznyakova also made weight for their respective contests on the card. An update notes that Thiago Moises and John Castaneda both made weight on their second attempts, keeping all fights intact. Notably, Castaneda had requested a catchweight limit of 63 kg the previous evening, which Vologdin accepted, with Castaneda agreeing to forfeit 30% of his purse to his opponent. The full card is now set to proceed as scheduled.
The UFC Winnipeg card is fully intact after all fighters cleared the scales ahead of the event, with Gilbert Burns and Mike Malott officially confirmed for their welterweight main event.
Burns, the Brazilian veteran out of Kill Cliff FC, enters the bout ranked 13th at welterweight with a 22-10 record. The 39-year-old stands five-foot-ten with a 71-inch reach and brings a well-rounded offensive game, averaging 3.15 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy while also threatening with 2.12 takedowns per 15 minutes.
John Castaneda, the 34-year-old American known as "Sexi Mexi," made weight on his second attempt after requesting a catchweight limit of 63 kilograms the previous evening. His opponent accepted the adjusted limit, and Castaneda agreed to forfeit 30 percent of his purse as a result. Fighting out of The Academy, Castaneda carries a 21-8-1 record and is one of the busier strikers on the card, landing 4.42 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy.
Fellow Brazilian Thiago Moises also needed a second attempt to hit the mark. The 31-year-old American Top Team product holds a 19-10 record and blends striking with a notable submission threat, averaging 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes alongside 2.48 significant strikes landed per minute.
Russian fighters Mark Vologdin and Daria Zheleznyakova both made weight without issue for their respective bouts.
Why it matters
- Burns and Malott are confirmed for the welterweight main event, with Burns sitting at No. 13 in the division
- Castaneda's catchweight agreement and purse penalty kept his fight on the card but altered its official terms
- Moises retaining his spot on the card preserves a contest with legitimate submission danger in the mix
