Michel Prazeres missed weight for a third time in the UFC ahead of the company’s first trip to Belem on Saturday night, and will be forced to make a permanent move up to welterweight.
However, there was much confusion about his weight leading up to the fight.
Prazeres’s opponent Desmond Green agreed to fight him despite the fact that “Trator” came in six pounds over the lightweight limit on Friday. They worked out a deal with the Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission (CABMMA) in which the bout would go on so long as Prazeres didn’t show up at the arena heavier than 173 pounds, both CABMMA and Prazeres told MMA Fighting before the fight.
The 36-year-old Brazilian said on Saturday morning that he weighed 172 pounds, but he apparently gained a lot of weight during the day.
Green posted on his social media that Prazeres showed up at the arena weighing 180 pounds, but he would still take the fight. In his post-fight interview, “Trator” denied that he was that heavy.
“I got the arena, I weighed 80kg (176.3 pounds),” Prazeres said. “Like I said before, I didn’t know if it was him imposing or requesting that. I found that out later.”
MMA Fighting has learned with sources close to the situation that Prazeres did in fact weigh 180 pounds when he got to the Mangueirinho Arena.
”I take full responsibility for the weight,” Prazeres said. “I wasn’t able to hit the weight. I was a bit confused if it was him or the commission requiring me to hit the weight, and it was only a few minutes before the fight that I found out that it was actually his request.”
In an interview with the UFC after the fight, Prazeres said that Green demanded for more money to take the fight moments before stepping inside the Octagon, and "Trator" agreed to give 40 percent of his purse to his opponent.
Prazeres said he wasn’t “frustrated” with the whole situation, but admits he feared not being able to fight in his hometown. Forced to move up to welterweight now, the Brazilian expects to be “much stronger and healthier” at 170 pounds.