UFC on ESPN 3 weigh-in results: Ngannou and dos Santos ready to battle for shot at the belt
UFC on ESPN 3 from Minneapolis, Minn., where top heavyweight contenders Francis Ngannou and Junior dos Santos try to find their way into a title fight, is set following Friday’s official weigh-in.
Ngannou (13-3) rocketed to the top of the heavyweight division by finishing all of his first six UFC opponents. He challenged Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight belt at UFC 220 early in 2018, but lost via a unanimous decision. Suffering a big hit to his confidence, Ngannou then lost to Derrick Lewis at UFC 226.
Following back-to-back defeats, Ngannou returned to form with first-round knockouts over Curtis Blaydes and Cain Velasquez in a total time of one minute and 11 seconds. Having defeated a former champ in Velasquez, defeating another former champion in dos Santos would put him in prime position for another crack at the belt.
Having lost the UFC heavyweight belt in 2012, dos Santos has twice challenged for the belt since then, but lost to Velasquez and Miocic.
Currently riding a three-fight winning streak, dos Santos is also poised for another shot at the belt. A victory over Ngannou would likely seal the deal.
As heavyweights, neither had trouble with the scale. Ngannou weighed in at 255.5 pounds, while dos Santos stepped on the scale at 249 pounds.
The UFC on ESPN 3 co-main event features a fight in the flyweight division, a weight class that was thought to be on the brink of extinction, but one that UFC president Dana White recently stated would remain part of the roster.
Perennial contenders Jussier Formiga and Joseph Benavidez square off in Minneapolis, looking to get the next shot at current flyweight and bantamweight dual-division champion Henry Cejudo.
Formiga stepped on the scale at 125.5 pounds, while Benavidez weighed 126 pounds, making their contender bout official.
This article first appeared at News – MMAWeekly.com
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