Losene Keita has spoken out for the first time after being forced out of UFC Paris due to weight management issues.
The Belgian star was due to make his octagon debut against former two-weight Bellator champion Patricio Pitbull on the main card of tomorrow night’s show. However, the Brazilian accused him of arriving to fight week needing to drop as much as 24lb in order to make weight.
Eventually Keita, a double champion in his own right in OKTAGON, stepped on the scales this morning behind a curtain at 149lb. As a result the fight was cancelled, with Pitbull now pushing for a return in Rio next month.
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Losene Keita speaks out after UFC Paris weight miss
Losene Keita has taken to Instagram to share a lengthy statement apologizing to fans and his opponent for his weight miss that cost him his spot at UFC Paris. He is expected to return soon, although it is unlikely the Pitbull matchup will stay together.
“Dear Fans,” he wrote. “I need to start to say sorry to everyone, to Pitbull and his team, to the UFC, Hunter, and to my fans! I’m so sorry to let you down. In 25 fights I never missed weight, I have always been professional with weight, with the promotions and to my opponents.
“I’ve made 5 tittles fights, two of them at Featherweight, where there is no allowance and I never missed weight, unfortunately this happen when couldn’t never happen, on my UFC Debut!! I’m truly sorry, this was for sure the first time and last it happen on my career.
“I am devastated with this and I just hope UFC give me another chance, because I live for this, this was my dream!! Thank you for your support!”
Patricio Pitbull dubs rival ‘Fat Panther’ after weight miss
Prior to the statement, an enraged Pitbull gave a statement of his own to the UFC Brazil social media team. There, he mocked Keita’s ‘Black Panther’ nickname as he branded him ‘Fat Panther’ and demanded a fight with Arnold Allen for Rio next month.
During the video, translated by MMAFighting, Pitbull said: “I’m absolutely sure he didn’t try going to the bath tub [to cut more weight]. There’s plenty of ways [to try]. He was surrounded by kids. There was no one older to put him in place, ‘Stay there, go make weight’.
“At 9am he weighed in, he was over, and instead of trying until 11am, which is the limit, he was eating baby food. F— you, man. If you want to blame anyone, blame my opponent. Black Panther? He’s Fat Panther.”