Published On: Fri, Sep 5th, 2025

Losene Keita apologizes for weight cut that went awry for UFC Paris debut vs. 'Pitbull'

It’s safe to say Losene Keita’s UFC career didn’t get off to the kind of start he was hoping for.

Now the Belgian featherweight will have to wonder whether he’ll still get a UFC career at all. After he missed weight for his promotional debut Friday, Keita posted on social media to apologize for the infraction on the scale – and to ask the UFC to give him another shot.

Keita (16-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) signed with the UFC earlier this year as the Oktagon MMA lightweight champion. He was set to fight former two-division Bellator champion Patricio Freire (37-8 MMA, 1-1 UFC) to open up the main card at UFC Fight Night 258 (ESPN+) on Saturday at Accor Arena in Paris.

But Keita missed weight by three pounds at 149, and rather than take the fight at a catchweight, along with a percentage of Keita’s purse (likely 20 percent to 30 percent), “Pitbull” Freire who turned 38 two months ago, turned down the fight and cited Keita’s alleged decision to stop cutting weight with several hours to go.

Keita said he was “devastated” with the weight miss and said he’s never missed in his career, including at featherweight. He posted a short video of him in a bathtub during his cutting process, as well.

Keita said he hopes the UFC gives him another chance because “this was my dream.”

“For the first time in 25 fights, I failed to make weight, and it had to happen on my UFC debut… I wanted to continue and would have given everything to make weight, but my body didn’t want it. I sincerely apologize to all my fans. I will be back, like every time I fall in life,” Keita posted.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Keita apologizes for UFC Paris weight cut that went awry for debut

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