This past weekend, Keita was supposed to face Pitbull on the main card of UFC Paris; however, Keita missed the featherweight limit by three pounds, stepping on the scale at 149 pounds at weigh-ins. Pitbull refused to accommodate Keita, and as a resul,t the fight was cancelled, with Pitbull blasting “Fat Panther” and saying he refused to give him the advantage of coming in heavy.
Afterward, Keita said he tried to negotiate with Pitbull to still accept the fight, but had no success, and now we know what that looked like, because on Tuesday, Pitbull’s brother, Patricky Pitbull, released a video showing Keita coming to plead for a chance to fight despite missing weight.
“Fat panther did not even try! He had more than two hours to try to cut, and he was already apologizing and hydrating himself wanting to convince my brother to accept the fight.”
In the video, Keita is respectful and apologetic about missing weight, but urges Pitbull to accept the fight anyway, to no avail.
“Please, I know I f*cked it up. I know,” Keita said. “My coaches said — please. I’ve been waiting for this call all my life. Normally, I don’t even talk to my opponent like this.
“I’m not sweating. We tried everything. I’m not sweating no more. I tried. Even now, I was trying. I talked with everybody. This is my life. I just want to fight.”
“I gave you all the advantages, but I can’t give you this advantage,” Pitbull responded.
“It’s only one kilo. It’s only one kilo,” Keita pleaded. “Please don’t take this away from me.”
“You take it, not me,” Pitbull replied. “That’s your fault.”
“You can even take half of my money, I don’t care!” Keita insisted. “I just want to fight.”
“That’s your fault. Not mine,” Pitbull said. “That’s not on me.”
“Bro, you’re a fighter,” Keita came back. “We are fighters.”
“I’m a fighter,” Pitbull said. “But I am professional. 145 pounds. Your debut in the UFC against me. You have one hour and a half to try [and make weight].”
The two continued back and forth with Pitbull suggesting Keita “go to lightweight” at the end of things.
Keita was the Oktagon lightweight and featherweight champion before signing with the UFC to face Pitbull at UFC Paris. Following the failed weight cut, rumors circulated that “Black Panther” may be released from the UFC, but UFC Vice President Dave Shaw dismissed those rumors after the event, saying Keita was still a member of the UFC to his knowledge.
Pitbull, meanwhile, has called for a spot on the upcoming UFC Rio card, though no opponent has been made official.
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FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s finally starting to feel like the big fight week it is. Noche UFC is a bit of an afterthought, given Canelo v. Crawford, but both are banging, and I’m starting to get hyped about this Saturday. Where are y’all at on an excitement level?
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