UFC Winnipeg weigh-in results: Malott, Burns, all Canadians on target

The welterweight rankings could be impacted this weekend, when Mike Malott and Gilbert Burns step into the spotlight at a UFC Fight Night event in Winnipeg.

Before getting into the cage on Saturday night, headliners Malott and Burns had to hop on the scale no heavier than the welterweight non-title limit of 171 pounds on Friday morning at the official weigh-in.

Neither Malott nor Burns have ever missed weight in the UFC and both fighters were exactly 171 pounds on Friday, keeping their respective streaks intact.

Malott is one of nine Canadian fighters on the 12-bout UFC Winnipeg lineup at Canada Life Centre. The other eight all made weight as well.

The co-main event sees Quebec’s Charles Jourdain looking to keep rolling since moving down to 135 pounds a couple years ago. He faces American Kyler Phillips, who’s a longtime teammate of former bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley.

Jourdain made the decision to drop down to the 135-pound division from 145 after getting knocked out by dangerous featherweight contender Jean Silva. Jourdain, 30, has since gone 2-0, with a pair of guillotine choke submission wins over Victor Henry and Davey Grant.

“The loss to Jean Silva was quite a tremendous loss because even though he’s a fantastic fighter – I’m not taking anything away from him – this is where I realized I was riding a wave of talent instead of being a professional,” Jourdain told Sportsnet earlier this week. “So, I became a professional when it comes to taking care of the mind, taking care of the body, and now I’ve never been bigger. I’m actually stronger and bigger than when I was a featherweight … so everything changed (after) that night.”

Three Canadians are set to debut in the UFC on Saturday after years grinding away on the Canadian regional MMA circuit. Lightweight Mandel Nallo, middleweight Julien Leblanc and bantamweight Jamie Siraj all successfully made weight ahead of their first UFC appearances.

Siraj spent much of the first half of the decade in the hospital with a brain infection and autoimmune disease, yet the 31-year-old has made a remarkable career comeback and returned to fighting in 2023. He has won his past two bouts competing at 145 pounds but dropped down to 135 for his UFC debut against American John Yannis.

The scheduled flyweight matchup between Mitch Raposo and Allan Nascimento was removed from the card Thursday. The UFC announced Raposo is dealing with an illness and the bout has been moved to a June 20 Fight Night event at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas.

A preliminary contest between John Castaneda and Mark Vologdin was announced as a catchweight bout after initially being contracted as a bantamweight bout. Vologdin stepped on the scale at 138.5 pounds. Castaneda was the final athlete to weigh in and was 139 pounds. Castaneda has consistently struggled to make the bantamweight limit during his fighting career, missing weight multiple times since 2019. This is Castaneda’s third catchweight bout in the UFC in the past four years.

Also on the card, popular women’s flyweight contender Jasmine Jasudavicius returns to action for the first time since having her lengthy winning streak snapped in October last year. She faces Brazilian Karine Silva.

Below are the official UFC Winnipeg weigh-in results:

— Gilbert Burns (171) vs. Mike Malott (171)

— Kyler Phillips (135) vs. Charles Jourdain (136)

— Mandel Nallo (155.5) vs. Jai Herbert (155.5)

— Jasmine Jasudavicius (125) vs. Karine Silva (125.5)

— Thiago Moises (156) vs. Gauge Young (155.5)

— Dennis Buzukja (145.5) vs. Marcio Barbosa (145)

— Julien Leblanc (185.5) vs. Robert Valentin (186)

— Tanner Boser (244.5) vs. Gokhan Saricam (244.5)

— Melissa Croden (135.5) vs. Darya Zheleznyakova (136)

— JJ Aldrich (125.5) vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth (126)

— John Castaneda (139)* vs. Mark Vologdin (138.5)*

— Jamie Siraj (136) vs. John Yannis (136)

*Fighters agreed to a 139-pound catchweight