By Keith Idec

LAS VEGAS – Gervonta Davis spoke Thursday about moving up to lightweight sooner rather than later.

That move took place long before anyone expected.

Davis was overweight Friday for his scheduled title defense on the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor undercard Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. The undefeated Davis officially weighed in at 132 pounds, two pounds higher than the limit for the super featherweight division.

The 22-year-old Davis (18-0, 17 KOs), who woke up Friday as the youngest American champion in boxing, was immediately stripped of his IBF 130-pound title. His opponent Saturday night, Costa Rica’s Francisco Fonseca (19-0-1, 13 KOs), made weight and still can win the IBF belt by upsetting Davis in a scheduled 12-round fight that’ll be broadcast immediately before Mayweather-McGregor.

Baltimore’s Davis, who’s promoted and mentored by Mayweather, is heavily favored, 35-1 at the MGM Grand’s sports book, to beat the unknown Fonseca.

Davis didn’t take long to send out Twitter messages to his fans after failing to make weight.

One stated: My fans and supporters, I apologize. I will make it up!

Another stated: I’m young, I’m growing. I had a chance to make weight I knew I couldn’t make it & that’s that. I will have a belt again

A third added: I lost the belt not a fight

Davis and Fonseca were supposed to weigh in on the stage Friday afternoon at T-Mobile Arena, along with Mayweather, McGregor and the four other boxers who’ll participate in the fights Showtime Pay-Per-View will televise Saturday night ($99.95 in HD).

Due to Davis’ difficulties making weight, the Nevada State Athletic Commission weighed him and Fonseca behind closed doors. Fonseca weighed in at exactly 130 pounds.

Davis won the IBF super featherweight title by stopping Puerto Rico’s Jose Pedraza (22-1, 12 KOs) in the seventh round January 12 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. He defended the title once, when he beat England’s Liam Walsh (21-1, 14 KOs), his mandatory challenger, by third-round technical knockout May 20 in London.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for krikya360.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.