Weight-cutting isn’t the most enjoyable process for any fighter in any combat sport. And if not done correctly, it can lead to serious health issues and sometimes death. And while it’s easy to criticize a fighter for not hitting his or her mark, not everyone is privy to all of the hard work that is done in order to lose the weight, and more importantly, the circumstances regarding the scale fail.
In the case of Darren Till — who missed the Welterweight mark for his fight against Stephen Thompson at last weekend’s (Sun., May 27, 2018) UFC Fight Night 130 event in Liverpool, England by three and a half pounds — a last-minute family emergency interrupted his weight-cutting process.
Still, that didn’t stop “The Gorilla” from attempting to get back into a rhythm in order to shed the last few pounds. Now, a behind-the-scenes-video has surfaced showing Darren going through the weight cut, which sees him literally crawl out of a sauna and get carried off a treadmill.
As a result of missing his mark, Till was docked 30-percent of his fight purse, though he was willing to give it all to Thompson as an apology and in an attempt to secure the fight. Darren went on to defeat “Wonderboy” in a five-round bout that didn’t quite live up to expectations.
Nevertheless, it was good enough to shoot up the rankings six spots all the way to No. 2. Furthermore, Till offered Thompson a rematch on US soil in order to prove the hometown judges didn’t play a factor in the unanimous decision.
What say you, Manaics, does your opinion on Till’s scale fail change after seeing this footage? And is it about time UFC and other promotions do something about this?