PETTIS’S TEAM PUT HEALTH AHEAD OF MAKING WEIGHT
After failing to make weight for the first time in his career, Anthony Pettis has shed some light on the circumstances surrounding his failure.
In an interview with MMAFighting, Pettis explained that after a certain point his body just wouldn’t allow him to cut any more weight and that his team thought it best to weigh in overweight. “It was a team call,” Pettis said. “My body just wouldn’t let go of that extra weight. It’s just one those things. We did everything right beforehand, everything was on point. My body just gave out. I had nothing left to give.”
Pettis said he had never felt so worn out before and that his health was his priority. “It was definitely a different feeling,” he said. “I’ve never felt like that in my life. In the end, we decided that my career and health are more important than those two extra pounds.”
Asked if he was disappointed being ineligible to compete for the featherweight title, Pettis nonchalantly shrugged it off. “I’m not here for the interim belt,” he said. “Originally, this fight wasn’t for the belt. The plan has always been to just beat Max Holloway. And he’s not beating me tomorrow night.”
Pettis’s failure to make weight makes him just the second fighter in UFC history to do so for a title fight.
Cervantes Analysis: For all the criticism that other fighters and fans have levied on Pettis, I commend him for choosing his health over making weight. Cutting weight is no easy task and fighters often take extreme measures to do so.There were reports that Pettis was gagging, felt lightheaded, and had acid reflux, so it’s no wonder he gave up trying make weight. At the end of the day health supersedes all else and I’m glad Pettis did what was best for himself, in spite of this being a title fight.
SATURDAY NOTEBOOK ITEMS…
-Welterweight champion Tyron Woodley tweeted that he’d like to fight Nick Diaz at UFC 209
-Dana White told Sportsnet he’s assembling a “dream team” of commentators, after it was reported that the new UFC management wants to change the style of announcing.
-Cub Swanson told MMAFighting he “couldn’t be happier” that Conor McGregor is no longer the Featherweight Champion.
NOW CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S UPDATE: FRIDAY NEWS DIGEST 12/9: Anthony Pettis fails to make weight, his shot at winning Featherweight Title extinguished for now (w/Cervantes Analysis)
(Jonathan Cervantes has been an avid fan of MMA since 2009 when he saw GSP vs. B.J. Penn 2. He has practiced tae kwon do, jiu-jitsu, and wrestling in the past and is currently a student majoring in entrepreneurship at the University of San Francisco. He writes the MMATorch News Digest on Fridays and Saturdays. Michael Hiscoe writes MMATorch News Digests Sunday through Thursday each week.)
Leave a Reply