MANILA, Philippines - After struggling to make weight in his first attempt to vie for the Pacific Xtreme Combat (PXC) flyweight championship seven months ago, Crisanto Pitpitunge made sure that he would meet the contracted weight limit this time around.
Pitpitunge's two-fight winning streak in 2014 earned him a date with then-champion Alvin Cacdac for the silver-plated strap in June 2015.
However, Pitpitunge came in over the 125-pound limit, making him ineligible to compete for the PXC flyweight title.
To compound the misery, Cacdac likewise missed weight, compelling the Guam-based promotion to strip the belt from the Filipino-American stalwart and rendering the PXC flyweight title vacant.
The aforementioned match-up still pushed through as a non-title contest, where Pitpitunge knocked out Cacdac in the first round with a well-timed overhand right and a follow-up right hook to the temple.
Pitpitunge barely squeezed through an eye of a needle to avoid another weigh-in mishap as he stepped on the scales at 124 pounds for his flyweight title bout against Jenel Lausa in the main event of PXC 51 on Saturday, January 16.
Team Lakay head coach Mark Sangiao revealed that Pitpitunge had to create major adjustments in cutting weight in order to face Lausa, who has never missed weight in his 7 professional outings.
"It's a big lesson for him. He is more disciplined right now, considering that he went through the holiday season. He had a good and systematic weigh cut for this fight," he told Rappler.
Sangiao stressed that the camp is now focused on Pitpitunge's rehydration, with the goal to add at least 13 pounds on fight night.
"The aim right now is to bring him back to his weight where he is strong and in top shape. We want to add 6 to 7 kilos on fight night," he stated.
If he plays his cards right at PXC 51, Pitpitunge will not only become a world champion again but will also go down on record as the first Filipino to win world titles in two different weight classes.
"The objective is to win first before anything else. But I am confident with his skills inside the cage and I'm expecting a good fight between him and Jenel Lausa," Sangiao ended. – Rappler.com