Loss of hot water almost ruined Eryk Anders' weight cut, but Lyoto Machida 'was very respectful'

Eryk Anders started his weight cut early for a fight with ex-champ Lyoto Machida. Everything was on track for him to hit the middleweight limit until an unforeseen hurdle arose.

“It really wasn’t hard, the weight cut,” Anders said in a TV interview with Brazil’s Combate after the official weigh-ins for UFC Fight Night 125, which were marked by three misses on the scale. “It just takes time to cut the weight. We got to the hotel at 2 in the morning, turned the hot water on, and everything was working. Took a nap, woke up at 5 a.m. and no water. So apparently what happened is the hot water boiler blew up.”

A hotel malfunction didn’t deter Anders (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) from trying to make the 186-pound limit for Machida (22-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC), however.

“There were several hours, and we were trying to figure it out, (and we) moved rooms and then they started bringing pots from the kitchen with the hot water so I could do the bath,” Anders said. “And I just ran out of time.”

Anders came in at 187.9 pounds on his first try today. A doctor cleared him for a second attempt. To his surprise, his opponent was forgiving about the unfortunate turn of events.

“Machida was very respectful,” he said. “I think he kind of understood the situation. He gave me a choice. He said, ‘Eryk, do what’s best for you. Don’t make the weight or make the weight.’ Either way, he was going to fight. But me, being a mixed martial artist, I wanted to make the weight.

“So they gave me an extra hour. (I) went around, walked around the city of Belem with a sauna suit and sweat clothes on, and I came back on weight.”

At 186 pounds, Anders certified the Saturday fight card’s main event, which takes place at Mangueirinho Gymnasium in Belem, Para, Brazil and airs on FS1 following prelims on UFC Fight Pass.

The co-main event wasn’t so lucky. Brazilian vet Pedro Munhoz (15-2-1 MMA, 5-2-1 UFC) came in four pounds over for a bout with John Dodson (19-9 MMA, 8-4 UFC), who declined to face his opponent at a catchweight, prompting the UFC to cancel the fight. It was another unfortunate turn in a series of last-minute hiccups recently endured by the promotion.

But thanks to some last-minute scrambling and a little understanding, the main event is still happening.

For more on UFC Fight Night 125, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.