Despite saying he was ready to pull out, Bob Menery may not be the reason his fight with Johnny Manziel is in doubt.
UFC CEO Dana White was so certain Menery wouldn’t show up at the Meta Apex event in Las Vegas that he put $10,000 on it. But while White might end up being right, it’s not because of what Menery did.
Manziel, a former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL player, had already agreed to drop quite a bit of weight to make the bout with the smaller Menery possible under Nevada rules. Now, though, Menery says Manziel is struggling to hit the weight target as weigh-ins approach.
From the start, there’s been plenty of doubt surrounding whether the fight between Bob Menery and Johnny Manziel would actually take place. Menery’s track record includes a few cancelled projects, and headlining a Las Vegas card is a major step up that many didn’t see coming together.
Weight issues reportedly putting Bob Menery vs Johnny Manziel at risk
But he’s cleared his medicals, put on the necessary weight, and has seemed determined to make it happen. Despite that, his recent posts on social media suggest things could still fall apart due to questions about Manziel hitting the required weight.
No official weight class has been announced for the fight, but during his football days, Manziel played around 210 pounds. Now retired, he’s likely heavier. Menery, standing at a lean 5’7”, has had to bulk up significantly just to get close to what is expected to be above the 206-pound light heavyweight threshold.
“My weight is on track to be perfect,” Menery wrote. “Manziel may come in 5lb over. What should my demands be?” In another post, he added: “Johnny is burning calories. I’m force eating. This is so great. I’ll be good.
“Fight still happens only if I decide to accept to fight if Johnny misses. Which I will ‘cuz I’m a savage. But someone is paying for it.”
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