UFC Mexico City was a major night in the career of Regina Tarin.
The 21-year-old knockout artist debuted on short-notice opposite Ernesta Kareckaite, putting on a three-round scrap that stands out as one of the better female fights of 2026 so far. Not only did she throw down, but “Kill Bill” also walked away with the unanimous decision victory. Very few fans knew her name a week ago, but now Tarin is a must-watch prospect in the women’s Flyweight division.
Unfortunately, Tarin’s performance hasn’t been the sole topic of conversation. There was quite a bit of discussion online about her physical transformation from weigh-in day to fight night, and as is so often the case in women’s sport, the comments could get ugly. For better or worse, Tarin has taken to Instagram to defend her “bloated” figure, which she says was an abnormal result of cutting 26 pounds in just three days.
“In the first photo, that’s me before the weigh-in, dehydrated and starving,” Tarin wrote on Instagram (translated via Google Translate). “I lost 12 kg for this fight and cut 9 kg. I only had 3 days for everything. In the second photo, I had already rehydrated and eaten what my plan prescribed. My body went through so much; I was clearly quite bloated from all the processes my body underwent. I shouldn’t have to explain why my physical transformation happened overnight, but that’s how a super drastic weight cut works, and my body reacted by becoming bloated. I don’t always look like this, haha.
“I don’t mind people criticizing my body because only I know what I went through and what my body endured for this fight. Thanks to everyone who supports me! I’m the youngest Mexican woman in the UFC, I won the fight, and I put up a great fight. That’s what I’ll take away from this.”
Unfortunately, female fighters are no strangers to harassment from unhinged fight fans even without any kind of physical transformation. Thankfully, Tarin seems to have shrugged off the comments without too much issue, and she’ll most likely have a regular fight camp and normal weight cut in her sophomore performance whenever she’s booked to return.
