Despite having gone 7-2 as a UFC Light weight Jacob Volkmann was released by the promotion back in February. Only four months later, he made his debut with fledgling promotion WSOF last week at World Series of Fighting 3. Throughout their 3-round bout, Volkmann outclassed his opponent and former Strikeforce fighter Lyle Beerbohm en route to a unanimous decision victory. The win is only more impressive knowing what he went through less than 24 hours prior.
On Wednesday, Volkmann told Sherdog Radio about trying to reach his hotel door while recovering from his weight cut:
The maid knocks on my door and keeps on knocking, and I [thought], ‘I’d better not get up too fast.’ So I got up and walked toward the door, and by the time I got my hand on the door, I blacked out. Next thing I remember, I was shaking on the floor, having seizures.
I banged my head, and I must have hit my back on the door handle,” Volkmann said. “I didn’t tell anybody, because I didn’t want them to say I couldn’t fight because I just had a seizure. I had bills to pay, so I really didn’t have a choice.
Following the incident, Volkmann did a self-examination based on his background as a licensed chiropractor to determine he was fit to fight. Having passed his own exam, he chose not to disclose it to the Nevada State Athletic Commission before stepping in the cage. Despite the incident, Volkmann hopes to return to action as soon as possible.
Volkmann is only the most recent victim of the dangers of weight cutting in MMA. In January 2012, Anthony Johnson weighed in 12 pounds over the Middleweight limit for his fight against Vitor Belfort at UFC 142. He also missed weight for his next scheduled Middleweight bout, saying “[his] body shut down” while trying to hit the 186 lb. limit. Tim Means was pulled from his Lightweight bout on UFC On Fox 5 when he passed out in the sauna prior to the weigh-ins and Nick Catone. Most recently, Nick Catone was pulled from UFC 159 after being hospitalized for dehydration. It’s clear that weight cutting is becoming a problem at the higher levels of MMA but there’s been very little discussion about what reforms to make to correct it.