Fact-Checking Tracy Cortez Weigh-in Rumors: Did She Make Weight and What Were the Rules?
By James H. Sterling
Q1: Did Tracy Cortez officially make weight for her fight against Rose Namajunas?
Yes. While she initially weighed 126.5 pounds, she cut a significant amount of her hair behind a modesty curtain and returned to the scale at exactly 126.0 pounds, meeting the maximum allowable weight for a non-title flyweight bout.
Q2: Why was Cortez allowed to weigh 126 pounds instead of 125 pounds?
In non-title UFC bouts, athletic commission rules grant a 1-pound allowance above the divisional limit. The official flyweight limit is 125 pounds, meaning any weight up to and including 126.0 pounds is legally cleared. Championship bouts, however, enforce a strict 125.0-pound ceiling with no allowance.
Q3: How much weight can cutting hair actually take off on the scale?
Depending on length, density, and moisture absorption, thick or long hair can weigh between 0.25 pounds and 1.0 pound (4 to 16 ounces). Shearing off long strands was sufficient to remove the half-pound excess Cortez needed to shed before the deadline.
James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.
