"He's just undisciplined" - Fans relieved as fighter with multiple weight misses reportedly prepares to move up at UFC Vegas 87

MMA fans have chimed in with their opinions after a UFC fighter who's missed weight multiple times is scheduled to move up in weight. Addressing the topic, they've seemingly expressed their relief over the same.

The fighter in question is 26-year-old Christian Rodriguez (10-1 MMA). The American athlete has fought at bantamweight (135 pounds) and featherweight (145 pounds) in his career, apart from a few catchweight bouts.

Rodriguez has come in overweight on multiple occasions in his MMA career. For instance, he weighed in at 140 pounds against Jose Leon at Bellator 221 in May 2019 and missed weight against Ryan McIntosh at the NAFC - Super Brawl event in January 2022.

Furthermore, in the UFC, he came in at 137 pounds, one pound heavier than the non-title bout bantamweight limit (136 pounds), for his fight against Raul Rosas Jr. at UFC 287 in April 2023. Besides, he weighed in four pounds overweight (140 pounds) against Cameron Saaiman at UFC Vegas 81 in October 2023.

As per Marcel Dorff, Rodriguez is now set to head up in weight, as he'll go from bantamweight to the featherweight division. His upcoming matchup is a featherweight bout against Isaac Dulgarian at UFC Vegas 87 on March 16, 2024.

Netizens responded to the development by expressing their approval. One X user suggested that the MMA organization likely made Rodriguez move up after his weight mishaps.

Moreover, many fans alluded that Rodriguez has missed weight so many times that he probably didn't have a choice but to transition to a heavier weight class. One fan jibed at him and opined that his weight fiascos aren't due to his being too heavy but rather because he lacks the discipline to make weight. The fan tweeted:

"thank god he went up he aint even a massive bw he's just undisciplined lol"

Check out a few screenshots of fan reactions to the news below:

Screenshots of fan reactions

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When Christian Rodriguez expressed his appreciation for the UFC after his win over Raul Rosas Jr.

After becoming the first fighter to defeat highly-touted bantamweight prospect Raul Rosas Jr. in April 2023, Christian Rodriguez touched upon the speculation that he'd been set up to lose that matchup.

On The MMA Hour podcast, 'CeeRod' acknowledged that many did indeed feel that the UFC organization would've liked to see Rosas beat him and continue his ascent as a star.

Nevertheless, Rodriguez explained that the MMA organization's CEO Dana White and matchmaker Sean Shelby appreciated his exciting style of fighting. He implied that they simply wanted the better fighter between himself and Rosas Jr. to win and eventually rise as a bona fide star:

"Just because when I fought on [Contender Series], I did know that Dana [White] and Sean [Shelby] were a fan of my style. So then I was like, they just want to see who can be a bigger star."

Watch Rodriguez's assessment below: