UFC London Fight Cancelled After Opponent's Drastic Weight Miss
British UFC fighter Melissa Mullins experienced a rollercoaster of emotions at the UFC London weigh-ins, shedding tears of joy after successfully making weight, only for her scheduled bout to be abruptly cancelled due to her opponent's significant weight failure. The bantamweight contest between Mullins and Brazil's Luana Carolina was officially scrapped on Friday morning, mere hours before the event at London's O2 Arena.
Emotional Weigh-In Turns to Disappointment
Melissa Mullins, born in Oxford but training in Coventry, stepped onto the scales as one of the first fighters and successfully weighed in at 136 pounds, precisely meeting the bantamweight limit. The 34-year-old fighter was visibly emotional during the process, with tears streaming down her face. Initially, speculation swirled about the cause of her intense reaction, but Mullins later clarified through social media that these were tears of joy after completing what she described as a particularly difficult weight cut.
"I made weight and it was definitely a harder cut than I expected!" Mullins wrote on Instagram. "My opponent missed weight by 8lbs officially, and although we agreed to take the fight, the commission used by the UFC are not happy, [they] have pulled the fight from the card!!"
Carolina's Weight Miss and Cancellation
The situation took a dramatic turn when Luana Carolina, 32, weighed in behind a curtain at 144 pounds – a full 8 pounds over the bantamweight limit. UFC commentator John Gooden announced Carolina's weight to the gathered media and officials, followed by confirmation that the Brazilian fighter would not attempt further weight cutting. Later that morning, Gooden delivered the official verdict: "Due to regulatory reasons, the fight has been cancelled."
This marked Carolina's third weight miss in the UFC, adding to a concerning pattern that included her failure to attend the weigh-in for a scheduled bout with Montana De La Rosa twelve months prior, which also resulted in cancellation. Mullins herself has missed weight twice during her UFC career, though she successfully made weight for this particular event.
Mullins' Frustration and Future Hopes
In her social media posts, Mullins expressed profound disappointment at the cancellation, lamenting that "all my hard work wasted and the opportunity to fight on my home turf stolen from me!" She clarified that she had no prior knowledge of Carolina's weight issues, stating: "I did not know Luana was going to miss weight until after [I had stepped on] the scales! I had tears of joy in making weight.. Because it was a lot harder compared to last time."
The British fighter, who holds a 7-2 overall MMA record and is 2-2 in the UFC since her 2023 debut, appealed to fans to help her secure another fight opportunity as soon as possible. Her most recent UFC appearance resulted in a decision loss to Darya Zheleznyakova in June.
UFC London Card Proceeds Without Mullins
Despite Mullins' absence from Saturday's event, the UFC London card remains packed with British talent. Manchester's Lerone Murphy headlines against Russian opponent Movsar Evloev in what many consider a featherweight title eliminator, though Murphy confirmed he received no official assurances from the UFC about title implications. Both fighters successfully made weight, with Murphy at 145 pounds and Evloev at 146 pounds.
In the co-main event, Liverpool's Luke Riley – a training partner of UFC star Paddy Pimblett – faces American featherweight Michael Aswell Jr., with both competitors also making weight without incident. The event continues as scheduled at London's O2 Arena, though without the anticipated bantamweight contest that had promised to showcase British talent on home soil.
