Bellator 235 weigh-in results: Barnett, Markes official, but two miss weight in Honolulu

HONOLULU – MMA Junkie was on scene and reporting live from Thursday’s early and official Bellator 235 fighter weigh-ins, where the headliners made their fight official for Friday’s card.

In the main event, Josh Barnett (35-8 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes his Bellator debut against fellow heavyweight Ronny Markes (19-7 MMA, 0-0 BMMA), who also is fighting for the first time with the promotion.

Barnett weighed in at 251.6 pounds. Not long after, Markes stepped on the scale and was 250. Markes is moving up from several years spent fighting at light heavyweight, a division in which he has struggled to make weight in the past.

In the co-main event, nine-fight UFC veteran Erik Perez (19-6 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) makes his promotional debut against Hawaiian fighter Toby Misech (11-7 MMA, 2-2 BMMA). Perez was on the mark at 135.2, but Misech was over by more than five pounds at 141.4. The fight is expected to go on at a catchweight, and Misech will be fined 20 percent of his purse.

Alejandra Lara (8-3 MMA, 2-2 BMMA) also missed the mark for her fight against Veta Arteaga (5-3 MMA, 4-3 BMMA). She was 126.8 pounds and will be fined 20 percent of her purse, as well.

The early weigh-ins took place at the Bellator host hotel in Honolulu and preceded the ceremonial weigh-ins for the fans, which take place at 4:30 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m. local time) in the Tapa 1 Ballroom at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu.

Bellator 235 (“Bellator and USO Present: Salute the Troops 2019”) takes place Friday at Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

The full Bellator 235 weigh-in results included:

MAIN CARD (Paramount, DAZN 10 p.m. ET)

• Josh Barnett (251.6) vs. Ronny Markes (250)
• Toby Misech (141.4)* vs. Erik Perez (135.2)
• Veta Arteaga (125.7) vs. Alejandra Lara (126.8)**
• Braydon Akeo (145.6) vs. Tywan Claxton (145.6)
• Chris Cisneros (170.7) vs. Joey Davis (170.3)

PRELIMINARY CARD (MMA Junkie, 8:45 p.m. ET)

• Cass Bell (135.5) vs. Pierre Daguzan (135.8)
• Joseph Creer (184) vs. Ty Gwerder (183.6)
• Brysen Bolohao (180) vs. Hunter Ewald (177.8) – 180-pound contract weight

*Misech missed the bantamweight limit and will be fined 20 percent of his purse if Perez agrees to the fight. 
**Lara missed the women’s flyweight limit and will be fined 20 percent of his purse.