10/22 2:00AM EDT UPDATE: This report has been updated to reflect that Saturday’s main event has been moved up to a light heavyweight limit.
UFC’s October 23rd main event has received a change in weight class. A five-round fight between Paulo Costa and Marvin Vettori has been moved from the 186-pound middleweight limit to the 206-pound light heavyweight class, per a report from Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports.
It was first reported that the fight would be moved to a catchweight of 195-pounds, with a later report mentioning that the limit would go up another 10 pounds to the light heavyweight division.
The change in weight class comes after Costa admitted Wednesday that he won’t be able to make the 186-pound limit for a middleweight contest. He claimed earlier in the week that he weighed 25 pounds over the limit – an amount he would not be able to cut in time for Friday’s weigh-ins.
The new weight limit is set to happen in the main event of Saturday’s card at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
Costa will reportedly lose 20 percent of his fight purse due to the weight class change.
Weight-cutting for Costa have never been an issue before, as he has made the middleweight limit in all six of his previous UFC appearances.
The fight on Saturday will be both fighters’ first appearance since losing a fight to UFC Middleweight Champion Israel Adesanya.
Vettori lost his title bout just a few months ago, going five rounds against Adesanya for a unanimous decision result.
Costa’s challenge for the belt was over a year ago, getting stopped in the second round by Adesanya in September 2020.
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