Billy Quarantillo’s been out of the octagon for almost 20 months, and get this: the time off might have been the smartest move he’s made. Not only did he go under the knife, but he also made a huge decision to bump up a weight class. He’s ready to show off that new frame against Diego Ferreira in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 284 at the Meta APEX.
The Knife, The Rehab, and The Comeback
So, what’s been up with the long absence? Quarantillo dropped the details, saying he had knee surgery last year. You know that takes forever, right? He spent all that time just grinding through rehab, doing everything exactly right. That’s dedication, man. Then, on top of all that, he decided to move from featherweight up to lightweight. He’s 37 now, and he’s been getting “older, but bigger, stronger,” which makes total sense. He’s feeling great keeping the size on, but yeah, it’s been one heck of a layoff.
The Real Fight Was Always The Scale
Quarantillo admitted he’s been thinking about this weight switch for a while, especially after his last couple of fights didn’t go his way. He got stopped by Youssef Zalal and Cub Swanson, and he felt like he was battling two opponents: the guy across from him *and* the damn scale. He wants to focus on the person in the cage now, and honestly, who can blame him? The stories he told are brutal. Before the Zalal fight, he made weight, but he was “puking the night before,” pretty much all night long. He even had this wild thought, “at least I lost some weight doing this,” which, looking back, he calls “awful.” For the Cub Swanson fight, his last one, the process of making weight was so long, he “never felt normal again.” He was “drained” and “sucked out” even heading to the venue. That’s when he knew: “I can’t just keep doing this to my body.” Fighting is already brutal, and “to keep torturing myself to make the weight , I’d rather go in there and have a slight size disadvantage than just to kill myself before the fight.” What a move.
Quarantillo is optimistic these changes will turn his results around. He’s stepping into the lightweight division with a new body and a new mindset. You gotta be hyped to see him finally get back in there against Ferreira and show everyone what this new chapter looks like.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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