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Even an amateur in the world of Mixed Martial Arts should know how difficult and physically taxing the process of weight cutting is. UFC fighter Mike Perry was left extremely depleted in his unsuccessful attempt to make weight for UFC 255.
The process not only leaves the fighters dehydrated and weak leading up to fights, but when done regularly like professionals are expected to, it can have long-term effects on the body.
There have been instances where a fighter has fallen sick or even passed out because of kidney problems or drop in metabolism.
However, with all that knowledge readily available, MMA fans still do not let professional fighters off the hook when it comes to weight cutting. Whenever a fighter misses weight, fans take to social media to bully them and question their very worth as a fighter.
The latest victim of such behavior has been Mike Perry.
Fans ruthlessly bully Mike Perry for missing weight
Mike Perry tweeted before he had to hit the scales on Friday that he was probably not going to make the weight for his UFC 255 bout against Tim Means.
The tweet was obviously met with mockery and bullying by people who clearly have no first-hand experience of the hardships of professional MMA weight cutting.
Perry went on to explain how it felt like "death" to him, and he still had 6 pounds left to lose. However, that too failed to drive home the point, and the bullying remarks only increased once he actually missed weight at the weigh-ins.
Mike Perry could not shed those 6 pounds by the time he had to get onto the scale. He weighed in at 175.5 pounds, 4.5 pounds more than than the non-title welterweight limit of 171 lbs.
As has often the case been in the past, fans were quick on their feet (or fingers, in this case) to get on to social media and start bullying Mike Perry. A whole of them said Perry should be fired by UFC for failing to make weight.
Read some of the tweets below:
In a beleaguered world that has already been affected by Covid-19, we could do without the cyberbullying of a fighter who is undergoing a torturous weight cut.
Additionally, Mike Perry is known for being a tempermental character and someone who has been vocal about the hate he receives on social media. He is also being cornered by his pregnant girlfriend - who will, no doubt, share in the social media abuse he receives.
In these times, and generally, we could all do with a little more empathy.
