The first setback of UFC 287 came when bantamweight fighter Christian Rodriguez allegedly failed to make weight for his upcoming fight against prospect Raul Rosas Jr. According to several Twitter accounts, Rodrigues missed the weight limit by one pound, even after a second attempt.
Despite causing concern among fans, it has been confirmed that the fight between Christian Rodriguez and Raul Rosas Jr. will proceed. With Rodriguez giving up a portion of his purse due to missing weight.
The bantamweight fight is scheduled to be the first on the main card. With the middleweight championship bout between Alex Pereira and Israel Adesanya serving as the main event.
According to a tweet from an MMA Junkie journalist, the 25-year-old Christian Rodriguez weighed in at 137 pounds, one pound over the weight limit.
Despite making another attempt to meet the weight requirements, it was unsuccessful. However, subsequent updates confirmed that the fight would proceed, albeit with Rodriguez forfeiting 20% of his purse.
The tweet stated that a UFC official had confirmed this information.
“His bout with Raul Rosas Jr. will go on at #UFC287, but he’ll forfeit 20% of his purse, per UFC official.” it read.
Christian Rodriguez's final weight was 137, one pound over the bantamweight limit.
His bout with Raul Rosas Jr. will go on at #UFC287, but he'll forfeit 20% of his purse, per UFC official.
— Danny Segura (@dannyseguratv) April 7, 2023
Thankfully, despite the reduced pay, fans can still anticipate an exciting fight between two skilled fighters. It is unlikely that Rodriguez’s weight miss by only one pound will have a significant impact on the bout itself.
Raul is scheduled to face Christian at UFC 287.
Although Rodriguez boasts a respectable record of eight wins and one loss. Rosas has been hailed as a potential champion by many in the MMA community. At just 18 years old, he remains undefeated with seven wins. Six of which were secured via finishes.
As the bout approaches, ‘El Niño Problema’ will likely look to secure another finish against Rodriguez. Building on his impressive current streak.
The main card placement of the fight provides both fighters with an excellent opportunity to make a name for themselves on a big stage.
A victory here could elevate either fighter’s career and put them on the path to stardom. And neither Rodriguez nor Rosas would want to let that opportunity slip away.
Despite Rodriguez missing weight, the bantamweight fight between him and Rosas still goes ahead. And fans can hopefully still anticipate an entertaining fight.
