UFC lightweight Michael Chiesa missed weight for UFC 226. Still, Chiesa’s opponent Anthony Pettis accepted a catch weight bout against the fighter and ultimately earned a second round submission victory over his opponent.
Speaking to MMA Fighting, Michael Chiesa has since come forward to reveal the fears brought on by his recent weight cut.
“I know Max’s issue wasn’t a weight issue. But for some reason I just kept thinking about that. I don’t know. There was a lot of things going on in my head. I couldn’t feel my arms. I was hyperventilating, my back was cramping up. My blood pressure was dropping. I could hardly walk back to my hotel room. I knew I had to get up the next day and cut more weight.”
“It was just scary. It’s never been like that. In the middle of the night, I had like a huge panic attack. I couldn’t stop my body from moving. I felt like I was having a seizure, but it wasn’t a seizure. My body was like trembling, my back was cramping, I was having like a panic attack. My girlfriend was with me and was just like, ‘What the f*ck do I do?’ I literally told her, ‘I’m afraid tomorrow I’m gonna die doing this. I’ve never felt like this.’
“It’s always bad. Cutting weight is always rough, especially for guys like myself that make a significant cut to make a number. I’ve never felt like that. I’ve never been in fear of my life.”
