THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO — Light-heavyweight champion Jon (Bones) Jones drew some boos as he weighed in at the 205-pound limit Friday for UFC 140 main event with former title-holder Lyoto (The Drago) Machida.
The mixed reception did not seem to faze the 24-year-old American, however.
"This is an awesome opportunity against an awesome opponent," said a relaxed Jones. "I’m just so grateful for the whole situation. I can’t wait to go out and play this game that I’m so in love with."
His Brazilian challenger weighed in at 204.
"It’s a great opportunity for me — my second time fighting here in Toronto," Machida said in English. "I’m very well prepared and I hope to do a great job (Saturday)."
Former heavyweight champion Frank Mir weighed at 260, compared to 239 for an intense Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira.
Former light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz, wearing a No. 11 Leafs jersey with his name on the back, was 206 while Antonio Rogerio Nogueira — Rodrigo’s twin brother — was 204. 5.
All the fighters made weight first time around except for Dennis Hallman, who came in at 158.5 — 2.5 pounds over the non-title lightweight limit.
Hallman is returning to the lightweight division after campaigning at 170 pounds as a welterweight.
Montreal’s John (The Bull) Makdessi, Hallman’s opponent, was 155.5.
The weigh-in at the Air Canada Centre went without incident although Toronto welterweight Claude (The Prince) Patrick seems surprised at the appearance of opponent Brian (Bad Boy) Ebersole.
The American has shaved his chest hair into an arrow design in recent fights. But there had been no razor work ahead of the weigh-in.
UFC 140, set for Saturday at the Air Canada Centre, is the second UFC show in Toronto. The first drew a UFC-record 55,724 to the Rogers Centre.
Full weigh-in results:
Jon Jones (205) vs. Lyoto Machida (204)
Frank Mir (260) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira (239)
Tito Ortiz (206) vs. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (204.5)
Claude Patrick (171) vs. Brian Ebersole (170.5)
Mark Hominick (145) vs. Chan Sung Jung (145.5)
Live prelims (at 7 p.m. ET on Sportsnet)
Krzysztof Soszynski (206) vs. Igor Pokrajac (205)
Jared Hamman (185) vs. Constantinos Philippou (185)
John Makdessi (155.5) vs. Dennis Hallman (158.5)*
Yves Jabouin (136) vs. Walel Watson (135.5)
Undercard on Facebook
Mark Bocek (156) vs. Nik Lentz (156)
Rich Attonito (170.5) vs. Jake Hecht (170)
Mitch Clarke (154.5)** vs. John Cholish (156)
* Hallman failed to make weight and will be fined 20 per cent of his purse
** Clarke, the Saskatchewan native, weighed in behind a towel for his UFC debut; it turned out to be unnecessary.
