Anthony Pettis breaks silence on failed cut to featherweight: “my body just gave out”

Until this morning, Anthony Pettis had never missed weight for a fight. Now, that’s a claim he can unfortunately no longer make.

The former lightweight champion and current featherweight contender was regrettably unable to make the featherweight division’s 145-pound limit for his planned UFC 206 interim title fight with Max Holloway.

This news was extremely disappointing for fans and UFC decision-makers like Dana White. It was also extremely disappointing for Pettis himself, who will no longer be crowned interim champion with a win tomorrow night.

In a recent interview with MMAFighting.com, Pettis recounted his failed cut to 145, saying he was all the way down to 146.5 before he and his team decided to pull the plug.

“It was a team call,” Pettis explained. “My body just wouldn’t let go of that extra weight. It’s just one of those things. We did everything right beforehand, everything was on point. My body just gave out. I had nothing left to give.”

The unfamiliar decision to abandon the cut, he said, came down to concerns over his health and career.

“In the end, we decided that my career and health are more important than those two extra pounds.”

“It was definitely a different feeling,” he said. “I’ve never felt like that in my life.”

Despite this unfortunate twist, Pettis assures that he’s still plenty motivated to beat Holloway tomorrow night.

“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,” he concluded. 

If Pettis defeats Holloway tomorrow night, do you think he should stay at featherweight and try to get a fight with undisputed champion Jose Aldo? Or is he better off returning to the lightweight division where he once won gold? Sound off, PENN Nation!