PFL Nightweight vs. San Diego: AJ McKee gains over 25 pounds for main event fight

AJ McKee made it clear after his primary occasion win at PFL San Diego on Saturday that the one cause he returned to featherweight was the possibility to turn out to be champion. It was by no means simple for McKee to hit the 145-pound restrict, however additional proof got here Monday when his combat night time weight was revealed.

As a part of its mission to curb excessive weight reduction in sports activities, the California State Athletic Fee supplied the combat night time weights of all opponents on the cardboard in an electronic mail despatched to MMA Preventing on Monday.

McKee stepped on the size Friday and registered 145.6 kilos, however he climbed to a whopping 25.8 kilos earlier than moving into the cage on Saturday. McKee’s last weight was 171.4 kilos for this combat, which was greater than his opponent Salamat Isblayev, however the Russian additionally packed on quite a lot of weight.

Isbulaev, who suffered the primary lack of his profession by choice to McKee, weighed 145.8 kilos for the bout, however gained a further 16.7 kilos to 162.5 kilos on combat night time.

Within the co-main occasion, Liz Carmouche continued her PFL profitable methods with a formidable submission victory over UFC veteran Vivian Araujo. Carmouche weighed 126 kilos on Friday and gained one other 21 kilos to 147 kilos for Saturday’s recreation.

After her win, Carmouche mentioned she wish to see the PFL add a ladies’s bantamweight division, as it isn’t simple to maneuver all the way down to the flyweight restrict. That mentioned, Carmouche stays the highest contender within the 125-pound weight class and may very well be arrange for a future showdown with Dakota Ditcheva if she continues to carry out within the division.

As for Araujo, he weighed 125.8 kilos on Friday and his last weight on Saturday was 139.1 kilos, representing a weight acquire of 13.3 kilos.

The largest weight acquire by share on your entire card was 2025 PFL light-weight event champion Alfie Davies, who stepped on the size Friday at 156 kilos and had a full home weighing 29.1 kilos earlier than Saturday’s combat with Alexander Chabri. Davis’ last weight for the combat was 185.1 kilos, a 19% weight enhance.