SPORTSNET.CA
Gina (Conviction) Carano and Cristiane (Cyborg) Santos, maligned in the past for having trouble and in some cases missing weight, each stepped on the scale without any drama ahead of their women’s 145-pound championship bout Saturday in San Jose.
The official weigh-ins for Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, which took place Friday at the San Jose Marriott Hotel, saw Carano hit the scale at 143 pounds. Santos came in at 144.5.
Their matchup, which headlines Saturday’s card at the city’s HP Pavlion, is the most anticipated female bout in MMA history, pitting the unbeaten Carano (7-0) and Santos (7-1), who has also won seven straight.
The event features two other championship bouts. Renato (Babalu) Sobral, who weighed in at 201 pounds Friday, defends his light-heavyweight belt against Gegard Mousasi (204). And interim lightweight title-holder Gilbert Melendez puts that belt on the line against Mitsuhiro Ishida. Both fighters hit the scale on the number.
Melendez was supposed to fight 155-pound champion Josh Thompson to unify the belts but Thompson had to pull out with injury.
All other fighters successfully made weight, although welterweight Jesse (J.T. Money) Taylor, who stepped in for Nick Diaz this week after the latter failed to submit to a pre-fight drug test, needed an extra hour to lose one pound after coming in at 172 on his first attempt.
NOTES: According to MMAjunkie.com, veteran fighter Phil (The New York Bad Ass) was released by Strikeforce and has since signed a multi-fight deal to return to the UFC. Baroni (13-11), coming off a unanimous-decision loss to Joe Riggs in June, last fought in the Octagon in 2004.
