UFC on ESPN+ 16 weigh-in results: Cerrone and Gaethje set for five-round headliner

The Ultimate Fighting Championship returns to Vancouver on Saturday for UFC on ESPN+ 16: Cowboy vs. Gaethje. First, the fighters had to step on the scale on Friday to weigh-in and make their bouts official. UFC on ESPN+ 16 is topped by an explosive lightweight contender showdown between friends Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Justin "The Highlight" Gaethje. Cerrone (36-12, 1NC; No. 4 UFC lightweight) is looking to rebound from a loss to top-ranked Tony Ferguson. He returned to the lightweight division earlier this year with wins over Alexander Hernandez and Al Iaquinta. Had he defeated Ferguson, Cerrone likely would have been next in line for UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. A former World Series of Fighting champion, Gaethje (20-2) was on the fast track to a title shot before stumbling in back-to-back bouts with Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier. He has since returned to the win column with victories over James Vick and Edson Barboza. A win over Cerrone would have him once again knocking on the door to the title. Cerrone stepped on the scale early during the official UFC on ESPN+ 16 weigh-in proceedings, weighing 155.5 pounds, a half pound below the limit for a lightweight non-title fight. Gaethje matched him, also weighing 155.5 pounds to give their headlining bout the green light. The only fighter to miss weight was Michel Pereira, who weighed 172 pounds for his welterweight bout with Tristan Connelly. Pereira was fined 20-percent of his fight purse, which goes to Connelly.

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UFC on ESPN+ 16: Cowboy vs. Gaethje weigh-in results

Main Card (8 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

• Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone (155.5) vs. Justin Gaethje (155.5)

• Glover Teixeira (204.5) vs. Nikita Krylov (205.5)

• Todd Duffee (244.5) vs. Jeff Hughes (251)

• Michel Pereira (172) vs. Tristan Connelly (169.5)*

• Uriah Hall (184) vs. Antônio Carlos Júnior (185.5)

• Misha Cirkunov (205.5) vs. Jimmy Crute (205)

Prelims (5 p.m. ET on ESPN+)

• Marcin Tybura (257.5) vs. Augusto Sakai (258)

• Cole Smith (135) vs. Miles Johns (135.5)

• Brad Katona (135) vs. Hunter Azure (135.5)

• Chas Skelly (146) vs. Jordan Griffin (145)

• Louis Smolka (135.5) vs. Ryan MacDonald (135.5)

• Kyle Prepolec (155) vs. Austin Hubbard (156)

*Pereira missed weight and was fined 20-percent of his fight purse.

An exciting throwdown between fan favorite lightweight contenders Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Justin "The Highlight" Gaethje headlines UFC Vancouver. Tune in to MMAWeekly.com on Saturday, Sept. 14, for full UFC on ESPN+ 16: Cowboy vs. Gaethje live results. The first bout is slated to begin at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.