California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) is continuing its efforts to prevent massive weight cuts and subsequent weight gains for all mixed martial arts (MMA) fighters competing in “The Golden State,” recently suspending a pair of fighters who competed at Bellator 286 last Sat. (Oct. 1, 2022) in Long Beach.
Enrique Barzola, who lost a unanimous decision to Juan Archuleta, weighed in at 163.4 pounds on fight day, representing a 19-percent weight gain after initially registering 137.8 pounds for his catchweight fight (140 pounds) against “The Spaniard.” The extreme weight gain prompted the athletic commission to suspend him from competing at bantamweight (or lower) moving forward.
Spike Carlyle — who missed weight for the event — was issued the same sentence and can no longer compete in the lightweight division as long as he fights in sunny California. “The Crucifixion” gained a staggering 23.6 pounds on fight day after first tipping the scales at 156.6 pounds during weigh ins the day before.
Carlyle lost a unanimous decision to A.J. McKee in a thrilling co-main event fight. This is the second time Carlyle has surpassed the 15-percent threshold set forth by CSAC to prevent massive weight cutting, leading to his suspension.
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