Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Rumors that Jessica Eye held the modesty hoop during weigh-ins to appear lighter than she was exploded during the UFC on ESPN 10 post-fight press conference.
While Saturday night’s UFC on ESPN 10 featured a number of fun scraps and quick prelim finishes, there wasn’t too much to get excited about in regards to the main event. After a slow start in the first round, Cynthia Calvillo handled Jessica Eye on the group in perfunctory fashion to earn a decision win 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 on the judges’ scorecards.
Afterward, Calvillo argued that the win was more impressive than it first appeared because not only did she move up a weight class from 115 to 125, but she was fighting an opponent who was really a 135er. Jessica Eye missed weight for the second time in a row for the fight, coming in .25 over. But there were whispers following the weigh-in that chicanery was afoot to get her that close to the flyweight limit. And Calvillo laid the theory out at the post-fight press conference.
“To be honest, she didn’t miss weight by .25,” Calvillo said. “She actually missed weight by a lot more. She held on to the towel when she got on the scale, and I know this because we received a text message from her coach letting us know she was going to miss weight by three and a half pounds, not point two. When she showed up, she held on to the towel and got away with that.”
“That’s why she was so proud after she weighed in and she was so happy and she was like, ‘Oh, I only missed weight by .25 pounds.’ No, she went into the fight a lot heavier than I did. So not only did I move up a weight class, I fought somebody that was a bantamweight going in there, not fighting someone at flyweight.”
And yes, Eye did indeed say on Twitter that she was “extremely proud” to only miss weight by a quarter of a pound.
Exactly also a 115 coming up who has also miss weight in class on a much higher level . See you just want to be a hater and rude. .25 of pound I am extremely proud https://t.co/IePDNxRzHd
— Jessica Eye (@jessicaevileye) June 12, 2020
That didn’t sit well with a number of fighters. Even the usually reserved Paul Felder called Eye out for that one.
Jessica Eye says she almost quit cutting when she was at 129 in the morning, says she’s proud of herself for being .2 over.
Paul Felder: pic.twitter.com/u68GNKZuHR
— Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) June 13, 2020
Before the fight, women’s flyweight contender Joanne Calderwood also called Eye out, demanding the UFC or commission or someone do something to make sure fighters weren’t holding the towel to appear lighter than they were.
Was it really .25 because I’ve heard from multiple people that you were 4lbs over 15 mins before you actually weighed in. Main event spot or not if you know your not gonna make it don’t take the fight. #banthetoweltrick pic.twitter.com/nTLwWdbnlF
— Jo Jo Calderwood (@DRkneevil) June 12, 2020
Back in April, the “Korean Zombie” Chan Sung Jung made a video revealing all the tricks used by fighters to cheat their way through weigh-ins, and it’s a pretty illuminating watch:
Holding onto the inside of ‘the hoop’ used when women have to strip down isn’t included, so I guess it’s time for an update. The solution to that particular cheat? Have women hold their hands up above the hoop, which seems like a pretty simple and common sense demand. Will it happen? Of course not! Which is too bad, because now fighter reputations are getting impugned and they’re losing that sense of pride they feel getting down to .25 over weight.