UFC Vegas 103 Weigh-in: Carolina Fight Canceled Due to Weight Issues

Luana Carolina’s struggles with weight management continue as her flyweight bout at UFC Vegas 103 against Montana De La Rosa has been canceled. This marks the third time in her UFC career that Carolina has faced weight issues.

Carolina failed to appear at Friday’s weigh-ins, leading to the cancellation of the preliminary fight. A representative for De La Rosa stated that Carolina was significantly over the weight limit, making the bout impossible despite De La Rosa’s willingness to proceed.

This is not the first instance of Carolina missing weight. She previously exceeded the limit by 2.5 pounds in a May 2021 fight against Poliana Botelho and by 3 pounds in a February 2024 match with Julija Stoliarenko, both of which she won.

In contrast, the main event weigh-ins were successful. Asu Almabayev and Manel Kape, both competing in the flyweight division, weighed in at 126 pounds, utilizing the one-pound allowance for non-title fights. Kape is currently ranked No. 10 in the flyweight division, with Almabayev close behind at No. 13. Almabayev is stepping in as a replacement for the injured Brandon Royval.

Another fighter, Lucas Almeida, also missed weight, coming in two pounds over the featherweight limit. His fight against Danny Silva will still take place at a catchweight, with Almeida forfeiting 20 percent of his purse.

Adding to the card changes, a 140-pound catchweight fight between Douglas Silva de Andrade and John Castaneda has also been canceled due to medical concerns on Silva de Andrade’s side.