Edgar Berlanga misses weight for first fight since Canelo Alvarez loss: 'Damn, man — I can't do it'
Edgar Berlanga is 1.6 pounds over the championship limit for his comeback fight.
Berlanga tipped the scales at 169.6 pounds in his first attempt at Friday's weigh-in ahead of his WBO NABO super middleweight title bout with Jonathon Gonzalez-Ortiz. Gonzalez-Ortiz successfully made the 168-pound maximum, weighing in at 167.4 pounds.
"People don't know, right, but I had the flu," Berlanga said to FightHype about missing weight. "I was struggling with my health, and I knew that at a certain point, I was like, 'Damn, man — I can't do it.'"
Berlanga vs. Gonzalez-Ortiz will still go ahead on Saturday night at the Caribe Royale in Orlando, Florida, but Berlanga will be ineligible to win the title. Should he emerge victorious, the belt will become vacant.
Berlanga vs. Gonzalez-Ortiz is the co-feature of a DAZN-streamed fight card headlined by the Austin "Ammo" Williams (17-1, 12 KOs) vs. Patrice Volny (19-1, 13 KOs) middleweight contest. Elsewhere on the show, 2024 Olympic bronze medalist Omari Jones makes his professional debut at welterweight against Alessio Mastronunzio (14-5, 4 KOs), and Jamaine Ortiz (18-2-1, 9 KOs) faces Yomar Alamo (22-3-1, 13 KOs) in a super lightweight bout.
Berlanga (22-1, 17 KOs) was last in action this past September when he challenged Saul "Canelo" Alvarez for the WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight titles. Berlanga extended Alvarez the 12-round distance at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas but ultimately lost a lopsided decision on the scorecards.
Saturday's bout represents Berlanga's final fight as part of his contract with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing on Saturday. He will then enter free agency in the summer, likely targeting big fights with Caleb Plant, Jermall Charlo and Jaime Munguia.
Berlanga has expressed his disappointment at being on the undercard of a relatively smaller show coming off a fight with the sport's biggest star, Alvarez. He blames Hearn's Matchroom for what he has described as a "disrespectful" move.
Gonzalez-Ortiz (20-0-1, 16 KOs) had two fights in 2024, a pair of knockouts over Jose Saint-Hilaire Gil and Edward Ulloa Diaz, which ended a 10-year hiatus from the sport. Gonzalez-Ortiz, 35, represented Puerto Rico at the 2008 Olympics.
He fought to a draw with former super welterweight world champion Serhiy Dzinziruk in 2012 and has a win over Derek Ennis — the brother of IBF welterweight champion Jaron "Boots" Ennis. Ten years on and two weight divisions up, it is no surprise that he is such a big underdog (+950 per BetMGM) against Berlanga.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Rowdy Tellez's solo homer (10)
On the Sidelines S1E14: Guest Matthew Smith, Storm get statement win, division crown is Mariners' to lose FOX 13 News Anchor and sports fanatic Matthew Smith joins the show for the first time. We break down the Storm's statement blowout win over Las Vegas on Sunday and what we learned about the team that should carry forward through the rest of the season and into the playoffs. Then, we recap the Mariners 6-4 road trip and discuss how the Mariners matchup with the Astros this season compared to years past. The Sounders took home another three points at Lumen Field continuing their unbeaten streak at home. We cover the hot topics from the NFL's spring meeting including the tush push surviving and NFL players being allowed to play flag football in the 2028 Olympics. We discuss whether the OG flag football players are getting unfairly pushed out and who we would want to see play most. We finish with another edition of Top 5 Dead or Alive, this time ranking our top 5 teams we each individually hate the most as sports fans. 1:01:48 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Olympian Mary Lou Retton Breaks Silence on Arrest for DUI Charge
Originally appeared on E! Online Mary Lou Retton is speaking out. The former Olympic gymnast shared a message owning up to her mistake less than a month after being arrested in West Virginia for driving under the influence on May 17. "I take full responsibility for my actions," Retton told People in a statement via her attorney, Edmund J. Rollo, published June 10. "What happened was completely unacceptable. I make no excuses. To my family, friends and my fans: I have let you down, and for that I am deeply sorry." The 57-year-old—who is mom to Shayla Kelley, 30, McKenna Kelley, 28, Skyla Kelley, 24, and Emma Kelley, 22, with ex-husband Shannon Kelley—also shared that she hopes to gain a new perspective from the incident. 'I am determined to learn and grow from this experience, and I am committed to making positive changes in my life," the 2018 Dancing with the Stars contestant said. "I truly appreciate your concern, encouragement and continued support." More from E! Online Bachelorette Star Jenn Tran and DWTS' Sasha Farber Break Up After Less Than a Year of Dating 1000-Lb Sisters: Tammy Slaton Unveils Transformation After Skin Removal Surgery Aaron Rodgers Reveals He's Married Retton, the first American female gymnast to win the all-around at the Olympics in 1984, was charged with one count of 'driving under influence of alcohol, controlled substances, or drugs; penalties,' according to court records from the West Viriginia Magistrate Court system obtained by E! News at the time. She was issued a personal recognizance bond of $1,500 and paid it the same day, per the records. Retton appeared in court on June 10, nearly a month after her arrest, the filing noted, and ultimately entered a no contest plea to the non-aggravated DUI charge. She received a $100 fine, Rollo told People, which according to the West Virginia DMV website, is standard for a basic first offense DUI charge in the state. Rollo also shared with People June 10 that Mary Lou now "asks for privacy as she moves forward with her personal and professional life." For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Riley Gaines Accepts Simone Biles' Apology, But Slams Her Call For 'Competitive Equity' As 'Nonsensical'
Simone Biles has apologized to Riley Gaines after calling her "truly sick" over comments about a transgender softball player. The Olympian admitted her remarks were too personal and emphasized the need for empathy and fairness in the trans athlete debate. Riley Gaines seemingly accepted the apology while still criticizing Simone Biles' comment about "competitive equity." Olympic gymnast Simone Biles has publicly apologized to Riley Gaines after making a personal remark during an intense debate about trans women in sports. In a lengthy apology posted on X, Biles clarified her comment and admitted she had crossed a line. "I wanted to follow up on my last tweets. I've always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport," Biles said. She continued, "The current system doesn't adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn't help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for." Biles, in her lengthy post, admitted that the topic of trans inclusion in sports is complex and emotionally charged. She emphasized that she doesn't have all the answers but believes the conversation must begin with empathy and respect. "These are sensitive, complicated issues that I truly don't have the answers or solutions to, but I believe it starts with empathy and respect," Biles wrote. "I was not advocating for policies that compromise fairness in women's sports. My objection is to be singling out children for public scrutiny in ways that feel personal and harmful." She concluded: "Individual athletes — especially kids — should never be the focus of criticism of a flawed system they have no control over. I believe sports organizations have a responsibility to come up with rules supporting inclusion while maintaining fair competition. We all want a future for sport that is fair, inclusive, and respectful." Biles extended her apology to Instagram, pairing a snapshot of her statement with a caption featuring three silver heart emojis. Her husband, Chicago Bears safety Jonathan Owens, backed her move by reposting the message on his account. Gaines didn't waste time accepting Biles' apology, noting that while the Olympian had body-shamed her, she appreciated the acknowledgement and expressed respect. She said, "I accept Simone's apology for the personal attacks, including the ones where she body-shamed me. I know she knows what this feels like. She's still the greatest female gymnast of all time." Gaines, however, took the opportunity to criticize certain points made by the athlete in her apology, writing: "A couple of things. Sports ARE inclusive by nature. Anyone can and everyone SHOULD play sports. Competition, on the other hand, and by definition, is exclusive. So the idea of 'competitive equity' is nonsensical." She further claimed that people shouldn't have empathy for "boys" in girls' sports, as they are "publicly humiliating the girls. To suggest that women and girls must be silent or ignore a boy who is PUBLICLY hurting or humiliating them is wrong." Gaines then agreed with Biles that "lawmakers and leaders at the top" are to blame while welcoming her to "the fight to support fair sports and a future for female athletes." As previously reported by The Blast, the fiasco began when Gaines commented on a post by the Minnesota State High School League showing players celebrating their first state championship win in softball. Her remark, directed at transgender pitcher Marissa Rothenberger, read: "Comments off lol. To be expected when your star player is a boy." Biles swiftly reacted to Gaines' post with a heated response on X. "You're truly sick, all of this campaigning because you lost a race. Straight up sore loser," Biles wrote. "You should be uplifting the trans community and perhaps finding a way to make sports inclusive OR creating a new avenue where trans people feel safe in sports. Maybe a transgender category IN ALL sports!! But instead… You bully them… One thing's for sure is no one in sports is safe with you around!!!!!" Gaines didn't hold back in her response to Biles' harsh criticism. Calling the gymnast's remarks "disappointing." She then made it clear that she believes the responsibility to navigate transgender inclusion in sports does not fall on women. "It's not my job or the job of any woman to figure out how to include men in our spaces," she said firmly. "You can uplift men stealing championships in women's sports with YOUR platform. Men don't belong in women's sports, and I say that with my full chest." Gaines, before accepting Biles' apology, had criticized the Olympian by referencing her very public battle with former Team USA doctor Larry Nassar, who was convicted of sexually abusing hundreds of young gymnasts, including Biles herself. "All the horrific sexual abuse @Simone_Biles witnessed and spoke out against caused by one man, yet [she] believes women should be forced to strip naked in front of men to validate the man's feelings," Gaines wrote. She closed with a jab at Biles' athletic legacy, writing, "You know how many gold medals you'd have if your 'inclusive' dream came true? Zero."
