David Onama explains 2.5-pound weight miss for UFC Vegas 91, says Commission forbade him to cut further
David Onama, who emerged victorious in his UFC Vegas 91 bout against Jonathan Pearce, has addressed his weight miss and the circumstances surrounding it.
Onama tipped the scales at 148.5 pounds, 2.5 pounds over the non-title featherweight limit. He later explained that his body reached its limit during the weight-cut process. Despite his efforts, the athletic commission intervened, prohibiting him from further cutting weight.
In his post-fight presser, the Ugandan fighter had this to say about his weight miss:
“Friday morning, my body just gave up on me, you know. I had two more pounds to cut and I could not cut no more… my body was hurting me. Never had that issue before, my whole career, I never missed weight. And that was my first time missing weight in the UFC. And you know, I was mad at myself because I never had that [weight cut] issue and I honestly thought I was gonna make weight. I had an hour left and the commission told me, 'You can't cut anymore.'"
He added:
‘I had an hour left, and I was gonna keep cutting weight but they told me I can’t make that weight in an hour… I gave it my all, [but] body won’t allow me to cut, I couldn’t sweat anymore. It’s not like I did not want to keep cutting, I had an hour left, I could have weighed in, keep cutting. I’m sorry, body give up on me… I apologize for that happening. It will never happen again."
Check out David Onama address the matter in the clip below:
David Onama defeated Jonathan Pearce via unanimous decision
In the fight itself, David Onama showcased his resilience and skill, delivering a competitive performance against Pearce.
Despite the weight miss, Onama displayed remarkable speed and agility, utilizing his striking effectively to control the pace of the match. Pearce, visibly frustrated by the weight discrepancy, sought to assert dominance early on but found himself unable to capitalize on his advantages.
Onama's superior mobility and counterattacks kept Pearce on the defensive, ultimately securing a unanimous decision victory.
Their final 10 seconds of striking exchange have gone viral over social media with many likening it to Max Holloway and Justin Gaethje's performance at UFC 300.
Check out the clip below: