Nicolle Caliari Misses UFC 333 Limit by 4.5 Pounds, Loses 30% Purse

Q: After a massive 4.5-pound weight miss, will Nicolle Caliari's size advantage overpower Lucindo, or will a compromised gas tank cost her?

Lucindo remains the safer pick, and the weight miss is just as likely to hurt Caliari as help her. A 4.5-pound miss at strawweight is substantial, so Caliari could enter the cage noticeably bigger and stronger than the contracted limit suggests. That matters because her best path is built on physicality: she averages about 3.0 takedowns per 15 minutes and more than five minutes of control time, and outside previews describe her as an explosive, strength-based fighter who can bully opponents. But large misses often signal a bad cut or difficult camp, and that can show up in pace and endurance. If Caliari struggled badly to get near 115, the tradeoff can be a compromised gas tank, especially against a younger, busier and more proven UFC fighter. Lucindo is 24, owns far deeper top-level experience at 18-6 with a 5-2 UFC mark, and has beaten stronger opposition, including Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez and Karolina Kowalkiewicz. She is also the betting favorite for a reason: she is regarded as the cleaner striker, has solid grappling of her own, and says she expects to be effective wherever the fight goes. The key variable is whether Caliari can turn that extra size into early control. If she cannot dominate quickly, the miss may become a liability rather than an advantage. Over three rounds, Lucindo’s speed, experience and broader skill set make her the more reliable choice, while Caliari’s size gives her upset potential mainly if she starts fast and wrestles effectively.

3 articles · Updated · MMA Fighting · Oct 23

Nicolle Caliari weighed in at 120.5 pounds for UFC 333, 4.5 pounds over the non-title strawweight limit with the one-pound allowance included.
The miss forces her bout with Iasmin Lucindo, who came in at 115, to proceed at a catchweight, with Caliari forfeiting 30% of her purse.
Abu Dhabi’s two title fights stayed intact: Alexander Volkanovski hit 144.5 for his featherweight defense against Movsar Evloev at 145, while Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili both made 135.
The rest of the card cleared the scales without issue, with the other 27 fighters making weight ahead of Saturday’s event.