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Earlier today, UFC officials conducted the weigh-ins for the much-awaited UFC Vegas 72 fight card at the state-of-the-art UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. This spectacular event is headlined by a thrilling bantamweight showdown between the formidable Song Yadong and the dynamic Ricky Simon, both of whom are expected to put on a phenomenal display of skill and determination.
While a majority of the 22 fighters scheduled to compete on Saturday made weight without any hiccups, two tenacious women's bantamweight contenders unfortunately missed their weight limits.
UFC debutant Irina Alekseeva unfortunately missed the non-title limit of 136 pounds for the bantamweight category by a significant margin, tipping the scales at 140 pounds. This four-pound deviation is likely to have consequences for her upcoming bout against the experienced Stephanie Egger.
In another weight-related complication, Hailey Cowan missed the weight limit by 1.5 pounds in her clash against Jamey-Lyn Horth.
Despite these setbacks, both matchups will proceed as scheduled at UFC Vegas 72. It is worth noting, though, that both fighters will have to sacrifice a portion of their fight purse due to weight discrepancies, with the exact amount yet to be announced by the UFC.
An interesting aspect to note is that the matchup between Journey Newson and Marcus McGhee has been designated as a catchweight contest. This change in the weight category is due to Brian Kelleher's unexpected withdrawal from the UFC Vegas 72 card at the last minute.
Brian Kelleher addresses his last-minute elimination from UFC Vegas 72
The UFC Vegas 72 prelims card was set to feature an interesting matchup between Brian Kelleher and Journey Newson this coming weekend. However, the card encountered an unexpected turn of events when Kelleher had to withdraw from the fight, leaving fans disappointed.
In response to the backlash from disappointed fans, Kelleher swiftly took to social media to quell any undue criticism and promised to share more details regarding his withdrawal soon. The experienced 135-pounder has since revealed that he was advised by the UFC to pull out of the fight:
"Unfortunately the UFC has decided to pull my fight this Saturday. I’ve had an injury I’ve been dealing with that they advise is addressed. I was ready and willing and wanted to go in there and do my work but I understand there concern and appreciate there willingness to look out for my health before anything."
'Boom' added:
"For now I have to step away and get some things fixed up. The UFC is my life and all that I know. It’s been an amazing journey. I won’t say goodbye just yet but hopefully see ya later. Much love. BOOM !"
