Desmond Green: UFC Belem fight still on, despite Prazeres weighing 180 pounds

Michel Prazeres vs. Desmond Green will go on as planned — but only because Green is a “company man.”

In a repeat offense, Prazeres missed weight by five pounds (161 pounds for a 156-pound bout) at the official UFC Fight Night 125 weigh-ins on Friday in Belem, Brazil.

Green still took the fight, but under the stipulation that the Brazilian weigh no more than 173 pounds upon arriving at the venue on Saturday.

Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting.com reported Saturday evening that the bout will remain on the event’s main card as scheduled. Green said in a video posted on his Instagram account that Prazeres will weigh 180 pounds in the fight — seven pounds over the agreed upon weight. But Green did not want to go through a training camp, a flight to Brazil, and fight week without fighting. So he said yes, anyway.

“Michel missed weight yesterday. He was five pounds over,” Green said. “I agreed that he couldn’t be over 173 (pounds) on fight day, and he agreed to it, too. We come to fight day and they tell me he’s 180 right now. Me, I weigh about 163. Thought about what I want to do. I’m gonna take this fight, still gonna whoop some ass. Savages do what savages do.”

Prazeres will be required to move up to welterweight after Saturday. Per Combate’s Marcelo Barone, the athlete will give up 40 percent of his fight purse.

Prazeres vs. Green is the third last fight at UFC Fight Night 125. The event is currently live and is headlined by Lyoto Machida vs. Eryk Anders.