Cough, cough, cough... (throat clear) cough...ugh!

Ok guys, so I learned a huge lesson about being fight ready the hard way. I was training like craaazy with an amazing instructor. I got my cardio up better than ever, I was feeling like a beast, but there was one thing wrong the week of the fight, I was sick and not flu sick but congested, coughing, and weak sick. Though I felt mentally like I could destroy Allistair Overeem if he looked at me wrong, my chest and muscles had a different idea. I had started with daytime cold meds and nighttime cold meds cause I couldn't sleep due to the coughing. By the 3rd day I was into some antibiotics I had leftover and a little extra on the nighttime meds. The thought of cancelling the fight crossed my mind once and I literally laughed it off standing in my kitchen swallowing said antibiotics like some mad scientist. I ended up calling out of work and a work related dinner the next 2 nights because I figured I would be fine with a little extra rest. The next day got on the road and made great time getting to Daytona and checking in the hotel. I hadn't really worried about my weight too much as I was good about my eating habits throughout training so I thought I would be right on as I hit the scale. Wrong again, I was about 2.5 lbs lighter than my fight weight, shrugged it off(dumb). Let's fast forward to the fight. As I got loose in the dressing room I kept thinking that my legs felt "soft" for lack of a better word. The fight starts and my thoughts in my head started with "holy shit I can't move". My wildly aggressive opponent besides ducking his head and windmilling punches at me, hit me with a spinning back kick to the old noggin which I never saw coming and knocked me to the canvas. Not sure what my opponent was thinking after I got up but with those points scored he abandoned trying to knock me out and instead decided to ride it out laying his weight on me on the ropes. I didn't have the strength to move him the ref would split us and again he would barrel in and lay on me on the ropes. I would take my L like a man, he did what he needed to do to win. So I know I was sick, but I was in shape. I felt horrible (understatement) about my loss until I looked at a picture I had taken before the fight. I had run into Din Thomas and really wanted a picture with him, dude is super cool, he obliged. My eyes in the picture tell the story, half open and swollen I looked horrible...ugh! Never again! Lesson learned, if you are remotely ill, I totally advise against fighting. I got lucky to be honest. It could have meant the end of my career, don't let it be the end of yours. Don't fight sick!!!