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Julija Stoliarenko vs. Julia Avila has been officially scrapped from UFC Vegas 22 after Stoliarenko fainted twice at the weigh-in.
The Lithuanian women's bantamweight contender would have made her second appearance in the promotion, fighting No. 15 in the rankings, Avila. However, after the incident, the UFC decided to cancel the bout. No update on Julija Stoliarenko's condition has been given as of yet.
MMA Fighting's Mike Heck was the first to report that the women's bantamweight contest was off.
Avila, who holds a record of 2-1 in the UFC, entered the 135 lb rankings after her victory against Gina Mazany in June 2020. She posted on her Instagram account that she wishes a speedy recovery for Julija Stoliarenko.
"Unfortunately, my fight has been cancelled. My opponent fainted twice on the scales. I hope nothing but a speedy recovery for Julija Storialenko and prayers for her. Maybe we can meet up at a future date. But I will not be performing tomorrow night. As always, thank you to #PandaNation for the support. I love you all. May all the Julia's in the world be unified and be healthy," Avila wrote.
UFC fans question weight-cutting process after Julija Stoliarenko incident
The footage showing UFC women's bantamweight fighter Julija Stoliarenko fainting twice during her weigh-in for UFC Vegas 22 is shocking to watch. Combat sports fans on social media are raising concerns about the weight-cutting process implemented by the world's most famous fighting organization.
Other promotions, like ONE Championship, are already using different approaches to improve athletes' safety during weigh-cutting. The inclusion of extra weight divisions is another possibility raised by MMA fans and experts to potentially solve the problem. You can read more of the reactions to the weigh-in below.
"This video looks bad. What was even worse was that Stoliarenko was allowed to get back on the scale after this. And she fainted again. The fight is off now, per the UFC."
"The Stoliarenko video is difficult to watch. The sport needs change. Would be happy to see ONE Championship come to the US so their hydration protocols can be tested and overseen transparently by an athletic commission."
"The entire scene. Really bad. Can’t believe she was allowed to try to get back on the scale, no matter what she said to convince people she was OK. Glad the fight is off and wishing the best for Julija’s health."
UFC Vegas 22 will be headlined by the middleweight bout between No. 7 in the 185 lb rankings Derek Brunson and No. 10, Kevin Holland.
