Heather Hardy’s journey through the world of MMA has been an interesting watch so far. During last night’s Bellator 194 weigh-ins, however, Hardy seems to have been dealt a rough hand…
The Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. will play host to Bellator 194 and the quarterfinals of the stacked BMMA heavyweight grand prix. Featured in the main event are former UFC foes Matt Mitrione and Roy Nelson.
‘Meathead’ and ‘Big Country’ already fought once during the Ultimate Fighter Carwin vs. Lesnar finals, with Nelson winning by TKO. Aside from the big boys colliding there’s another anticipated scrap at women’s flyweight.
Former boxing champion and hyped Bellator star Heather Hardy faces Ana Julaton on the main card. After a dominant debut at Bellator 180, Hardy literally had her face rearranged by Kristina Williams at Bellator 185.
Now 1-1 in MMA, Hardy was looking for a big rebound at Bellator 194. Things did not get off to a good start at the weigh-ins.
Hardy Misses Weight After COntroversial Commission Decision
Normally, if a fighter misses weight, they are given a chance to weigh in again later. At the minimum, the fighter in question would be allowed to strip off their clothes to remove excess weight.
In the case of Hardy during the Bellator 194 weigh-ins, she was just .25 of a pound over. The commissioner in question, Mike Mazzulli, the president of the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation, refused to allow Hardy either option.
As per MMAJunie.com:
“It was never said she was good. She got on the scale, (and) she was 126.25 … she was a quarter-pound over. At that point, I explained to her – after evaluating her and seeing how she was – that she was not going to lose anymore. The fight’s not going to happen (if she has to lose anymore) – I’ll cancel the fight. Fighter safety is the most important at Mohegan, and I make sure of it.”
Hardy, meanwhile, disputed the commission president’s claim:
“I did make the weight. I was two (tenths) over and they gave me the allowance for bikini top and bottom without making me strip in front of the room. (I’m) not sure about there having been a problem at all – I was backstage after the weigh-in hydrating and doing interviews for like an hour after.”
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“I was shocked when they called in and said they were fining me. Yes, it was a rough-ass weight cut – (it) was totally clear on my face. But (Mazzulli) looked at me and said 126. There was a guy behind him that said, ‘We make the allowance for your bikini. She isn’t stripping. We don’t need the towel.”
“I explained to her (on the scale) that she did not (make weight) – that she was over a quarter-(pound), but I was not going to allow her to lose any more weight,” Mazzulli said. “… I explained to her, ‘I’m not even going to have you remove your clothes, because at this point you can’t even speak to me coherently. That concerns me.’”
Bellator 194: Mitrione vs. Nelson 2 Weigh-In Results:
Matt Mitrione (255) vs. Roy Nelson (265)
Patricky Freire (155) vs. Derek Campos (154)
Liam McGeary (203.25) vs. Vadim Nemkov (205)
Heather Hardy (126.25) vs. Ana Julaton (125)
Tywan Claxton (145) vs. Jose Antonio Perez (142.25)
Marcus Surin (156) vs. Dean Hancock (155.25)
Walter Howard Jr. (203) vs. Jarod Trice (205.5)
Peter Nascimento (163.5) vs. Kastriot Xhema (164.5)
Regivaldo Carvalho (145) vs. Tom English (146)
Tyler Hamilton (154.5) vs. Pat Casey (155.5)
Ron Leon (156) vs. Ross Richardson (155.5)
Mike Kimble (135.75) vs. Geoffrey Then (135)
