Claudia Gadelha & Alexa Grasso Issue Statements On UFC 246 Fight Cancellation

Claudia Gadelha and Alexa Grasso were supposed to fight in just a few hours at UFC 246, but Grasso missed weight for the encounter by over five pounds and the contest was canned by the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).

Gadelha, in a statement issued through Instagram, says that she still wanted to fight the overweight Grasso, but the NAC wouldn’t let it happen:

 

 

 

 

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I worked so hard for this and I was so excited to put in a show for you all tomorrow but unfortunately my fight isn’t gonna happen because my opponent missed weight by 5.5 pounds. I still wanted the fight because I am a bad bitch but Nevada Commission athlete didn’t allowed the fight to happen. A big thanks for my coaches, teammates, family and whole team for the amazing camp!! We will run it back!! Eu trabalhei tanto para essa luta e estava muito empolgada para lutar com o coração para vocês todos amanhã à noite, mas infelizmente minha luta não vai acontecer porque a minha adversária não bateu o peso. Eu ainda queria uma luta porque sou lutadora de coração grande, mas a Comissão de Nevada não deixou a luta acontecer. Obrigada @drfelipepereira pelo excelente trabalho, estamos indo pra 5 anos de trabalho juntos e a gente só melhora!! Muito obrigada aos meus treinadores e parceiros de treino pelo excelente camp!! Desculpe pelo meu povo. Vamos voltar !! #teamcg #ufc246

A post shared by Claudinha Gadelha (@claudiagadelha) on Jan 17, 2020 at 1:19pm PST

Grasso was apologetic in her statement through Instagram, while also announcing a move up a weight class to flyweight:

 

 

 

 

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I want to apologize to Claudia Gadelha and the UFC I know this is a fight all were waiting a lot, including me. I trained very much for this and I did everything to lose those pounds. The commission did not allow our combat although my opponent and I agreed with the sanction this implied for me. The doctors did not allow me to compete. You don’t know how difficult it has been lately to keep me in this weigh class. It was not a lack of discipline because even if I do not have a fight I’m ALWAYS on diet. I turned 26 and my body is not the same, I am growing and I am in this biological process where my metabolism is changing. I have lived in recent years to the limit of what a body needs to be healthy, and yet I have always fulfilled my obligations. Let’s not talk about a flu or if my period is crossed because that added to the diet had made the weigh cuts a real suffering. I never complain or tell these things because I am not that kind of person and I always show you my best attitude. My team and I have decided that the smartest and healthiest thing to do is to be in other weigh class. With all the respect that it deserves and of course pain in my heart I say goodbye to the strawweight division 115 LB This year has a different goal for me and I officially move to Flyweight 125 LB I know that at this weight I will be healthier and stronger giving my body all the nutrients it needs. Thanks to all the people who support me, my Lobo team and my coaches who are with me every day and know that what I do is completely a commitment to my sport and my career. I start a new stage in my life!

A post shared by Alexa Grasso (@alexa_grasso) on Jan 17, 2020 at 7:07pm PST

UFC 246 takes place tonight from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada with Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.