Since he started his mixed martial arts career, Max Metzgar’s dream has been to join the crown jewel of MMA: UFC. The 2015 graduate of Oak Park and River Forest High School took another step toward fulfilling his dream, June 7, at the Caged Thunder 32 pay-per-view event in Canton, Ohio. He defeated Jai Pfeiffer via submission at 3:58 of the first round, improving his professional record to 5-0. Four of Metzgar’s victories have come via submission.
“It was good,” Metzgar told Wednesday Journal. “Dropping down from 170 (pounds) to 155 made a big difference. I was actually kind of hoping to have a little bit more time in there; it’s always good to get that experience. But you go in there and leave without any injuries, can’t ask for anything more than that.”
Last week, Metzgar was in Sioux Falls, South Dakota preparing to make his debut for Legacy Fighting Alliance. He was scheduled to fight on the main card of LFA 214 at the Sanford Pentagon, Aug. 15, in a 155-pound bout against Steve Collins, who is from south suburban Harvey. The match was going to be shown nationwide on UFC Fight Pass, which would’ve provided Metzgar with valuable exposure.
Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Collins withdrew from the match because at the weigh-in, Metzgar was over the limit by one pound. It’s something that left him disappointed.
“It was a rough weekend,” Metzgar said. “You get this big opportunity and think you’re going to break through to the next level, and it doesn’t happen.”
Usually, missing weight does not lead to MMA bouts being canceled, according to Metzgar. He said his camp offered Collins more money to keep the fight scheduled.
“It was so shocking that they withdrew over one pound,” said Metzgar. “We offered [Collins] double what LFA was going to pay him as compensation. That’s usually how it goes. If you miss weight, the opponent gets a certain percentage of your purse.
“We were going to give him not only my entire purse; we were going to give him double, which is unheard of,” he added. “But they didn’t want to take it. LFA told me they’d never seen anything like that before, where someone pulls out of a high-profile fight over a pound.”
Metzgar recently had a staph infection and took antibiotics that messed up his digestive system, which led him to missing weight. Still, he doesn’t use that as an excuse.
“It’s my fault. As much as I want to say [Collins] should’ve still taken the fight, it’s my job to make the contracted weight, and I didn’t do that,” he said.
Now Metzgar turns to preparation for his next fight. He said it will be with the LFA in October or November against an opponent to be determined. The site, time, and date will be announced later.
“This will allow a little time for my digestive system to heal all the way,” Metzgar said. “I want to get another match in as soon as possible.”
Another reason he is eager to get back at it is the cable network ESPN. There, UFC founder and President Dana White has a new series called Dana White’s Contenders, which spotlights young MMA talent on the rise.
Metzgar believes if he’s able to get on the show, that would go a long way toward making his UFC dream come true.
“If I keep my weight in the appropriate range,” he said, “an appearance on that series would open up a lot of doors. [The cancellation] adds fuel to my fire.”
