By Allan Fox: Former four division world champion Erik Morales (52-7, 36 KO’s) explained why he didn’t attempt to lose the additional two pounds when he weighed over the limit at 142lbs for tonight’s fight against Danny Garcia (22-0, 14 KO’s) at the Reliant Arena in Houston, Texas. Morales, 35, lost his World Boxing Council (WBC) light welterweight title on the scales when he came in over weight and then subsequently deciding to forget about trying to lose the additional weight.

Morales figured that losing the two pounds would have weakened him to the point where he couldn’t beat the younger 23-year-old Garcia tonight, so he instead gave up his WBC title in order to focus on winning the fight.

Morales said to ESPN “I was in position to save the fight or the belt, but it’s more important to save the fight. If I tried to make the weight by taking off those two pounds it would have really affected me in the fight.”

Morales was fined $50,000 for failing to make the weight and the money will go to Garcia’s purse. However, Morales has a point. What good is it to hurt himself by melting down to 140 if he’s going to lose the fight due to being too weak. He was going to lose the title anyway by weakening himself, so he’s better off giving up the strap and at least focus on winning the fight and then going from there. Morales is bigger than the title and will have countless opportunities for good fights if he wins tonight. But if Morales loses, his opportunities are much more limited in scope. He would have to get what he can, because he’ll have lost two out of his last three fights.

Morales will still make close to a $1 million minus the $50,000 that goes to Garcia.