Former Bellator Champ Juliana Velasquez Hit With Double Disaster: PFL 2 Withdrawal & Weight Miss

It’s been a nightmare week for Juliana Velasquez. The Brazilian fighter who once proudly wore Bellator MMA’s women’s Flyweight crown has suffered not one, but two massive setbacks that have left fans and pundits wondering what’s next for the former champion.

Velasquez was scheduled to headline tonight’s PFL 2 card (Friday, April 11, 2025), but fate had other plans.

From Main Event to Sidelined: Velasquez’s Disastrous Week

Just when you thought things couldn’t get worse for the former champ, they did. First came news that Velasquez had missed weight for her scheduled bout. Then came the ultimate blow – her complete withdrawal from the event.

I’ve covered MMA for years, and I can tell you this kind of double whammy is particularly brutal in a sport where opportunities at the top don’t come easily.

The Weight Cut Catastrophe

Sources close to the fighter indicated Velasquez struggled mightily with her weight cut. Despite her experience as a championship-level athlete, something clearly went wrong in her preparation.

This marks a significant setback for Velasquez, who was looking to establish herself as a force in the PFL after her successful run in Bellator, where she captured gold before eventually losing the title.

What This Means for Velasquez’s PFL Future

The timing couldn’t be worse. The PFL operates on a season format with regular season bouts determining who advances to the playoffs and ultimately competes for the championship and million-dollar prize. Missing this bout could potentially derail Velasquez’s entire 2025 campaign before it even begins.

Will the PFL reschedule her bout? Can she still qualify for the playoffs? These questions remain unanswered as of press time.

The Mental and Physical Toll

Failed weight cuts aren’t just professionally embarrassing – they’re physically dangerous. The extreme dehydration and nutritional stress can have lasting effects on a fighter’s health and performance.

You have to wonder about Velasquez’s mental state after this disaster. Fighting is as much psychological as physical, and bouncing back from this kind of setback will test her resolve.

What’s Next for PFL 2?

The PFL has been forced to shuffle the card at the last minute, elevating another bout to main event status. This kind of disruption impacts everyone from the promotion to the fans who purchased tickets expecting to see Velasquez compete.

The organization has yet to announce if they’ll seek a late replacement or simply proceed with a shortened card.

The Ripple Effect

This withdrawal doesn’t just affect Velasquez – her opponent is now left without a fight and the compensation that comes with it. The entire event loses some of its luster without its intended headliner.

For a promotion that’s still working to establish itself alongside the UFC and capture market share in the competitive MMA landscape, these last-minute changes can be particularly damaging.

Comeback or Curtain Call?

At this point in her career, Velasquez finds herself at a crossroads. Once considered among the elite women’s flyweights in the world, these setbacks raise serious questions about her future.

Can she regroup and make a run at PFL gold? Or is this the beginning of the end for the former champion? Only time will tell, but the road back just got significantly steeper.

For now, MMA fans will have to wait to see the former Bellator champion make her PFL debut. When (or if) that happens remains one of the bigger questions in women’s MMA.

Stay Updated

We’ll continue to follow this developing story and provide updates as more information becomes available about Velasquez’s condition and future plans.

What do you think is next for Juliana Velasquez? Has her PFL run ended before it truly began? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: PFL Official