Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori main event shifted to catchweight
This weekend’s Paulo Costa vs. Marvin Vettori main event has been shifted to a catchweight after Costa struggled to make 185lbs.
Costa vs. Vettori was set to be a five-round middleweight main event headlining this Saturday’s UFC Vegas 41 card, but Costa admitted during fight week that he was having trouble making 185lbs. During media day on Wednesday, Vettori confirmed that his opponent was struggling with the weight cut and he admitted that the fight would likely be shifted up in weight. Indeed, that appears to be the case. With Costa struggling to make the middleweight limit, this matchup against Vettori will now take place at a catchweight. According to ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, the catchweight has been agreed upon, although the weight has not yet been determined. It seems likely that it would take place at a 195lbs catchweight, or at worst, 205lbs.
Per UFC officials, the plan is to move forward with Costa vs. Vettori at a catchweight. No specific weight to report just yet.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) October 21, 2021
Per UFC officials, the plan is to move forward with Costa vs. Vettori at a catchweight. No specific weight to report just yet.
While it is disappointing that Costa could not be professional and come in at a healthy weight ahead of his weight cut to 185lbs, the good thing is the UFC is doing everything in its power to keep the fight intact. Vettori would be well within his rights to say no to the fight against Costa given that it was originally set to take place at a contracted weight of 185lbs, but he has also said he has no problems with fighting Costa at a higher weight class as he believes in his skills. It will be interesting to see what the agreed-upon catchweight will end up being and how the weight class shift will impact how the fight itself plays out.
Who do you think this main event between Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori shifting up to a catchweight benefits more?
