Would a fighter who didn't weight cut at all be at a advantage over someone who did?

[ReasonableMMAFan]

Would not being depleted/dehydrated be good for a fighter?

 

[Wariowokecancel]

A fighter with a smart cut > a fighter with a no cut or a huge cut

 

[Marvelous Marvin]

Edgar did well at 155 without cutting.

 

[Pakuded]

Frankie Edgar won and defended the 155 belt

 

[13Seconds]

Depends on fighter to fighter.

 

[FleXS]

Would not being depleted/dehydrated be good for a fighter?

Yea but then you mix in to the statement would not being the larger and stronger fighter be good for a fighter? and you end up with different tactics.

In reality i would say it is purely on an individual basis, if being the larger man possibly with longer reach is part of your strategy then you definitely need to cut weight
If you are fast and have a good chin that can hold up against larger men then not cutting weight and maintaining that speed boost is a viable option (ie all the Frankie comments)

It mostly but not everytime boils down to :
Weight cut gives you strength, reach, weight
vs
No weight cut gives you better speed and cardio

 

[Alanf7]

Edgar did well at 155 without cutting.

That division was much smaller at that time tho. Now you have huge lw's like Ferguson and Chiesa.

 

[chefa]

why does it have to be black and white ? yes or no ?

Like everything in life it depends on the person. Some people can barely cut any weight and it affects them horribly, others can cut large amounts and feel nothing. There are smart weight cuts and dumb weight cuts. There are some people who can overcome the strain and others who are better without it.

In short there is no answer here, some will be yes and some will be no.

 

[Marvelous Marvin]

That division was much smaller at that time tho. Now you have huge lw's like Ferguson and Chiesa.

True

 

[Peteyandjia]

Not only did Frankie Edgar not cut weight when he was the Champion, but he was also literally THE smallest fighter in the entire LW division.

 

[CJohnny]

Cutting weight makes your cardio better. That's what Dominick said.

Putting on weight makes it worse since you don't run as much. That's why Conor gassed so fast against Nate. Against everyone else his cardio was fine.

 

[CJohnny]

Not only did Frankie Edgar not cut weight when he was the Champion, but he was also literally THE smallest fighter in the entire LW division.

Try doing that shit in the current LW lul

I was watching BJ vs Sherk, and shit both fighters look so sloppy and slow. The striking technique was so bad. They also was tired by the second round or something and that fight didn't had a fast pace. The sport is so much better now.

They also look so fucking little for a LW. They both would be a FW these days, and if they are smart they would be trying cutting to BW

I bet they would get wrecked so bad by the top 10

It's not even funny

 

[BigMuffler]

No weight cut at all doesn't usually seem like a good idea outside HW.

A small weight cut is okay depending on the fighter, if your style is heavily reliant on strength or power probably not.

 

[glasshouses999]

the bigger the weight cut the bigger the weight of the fighter after the weight cut. The bigger the weight cut the more drained the fighter is after the weight cut.

 

[TheUnchosenOne]

If being the bigger guy didn't, generally speaking, confer a noticeable advantage, fighters wouldn't cut weight like they do.

 

[ConorChoked]

if they cut properly then yeah cutting is an advantage since you will be bigger

 

[SeattleFightFan]

Gastelum believes (EDIT: well, in 2014 he believed) that he'll never be top 5 at 185 b/c he's too small. but Edgar could (at 155). and Hendo did very well at 185 (cutting) and 205 (not cutting).

so there ya go. the answer is, "yes, no and maybe". so next time, try to limit the scope of the question.

but let's not be stupid. 99% of non-HW's cut weight. empirical evidence suggests there's a good reason why. don't be an egghead forum poster who thinks they know more than these fighters. Edgar and Hendo are exceptions to the rule.

 

[felmmando]

Not only did Frankie Edgar not cut weight when he was the Champion, but he was also literally THE smallest fighter in the entire LW division.

How about Cain Velasquez? Is there currently any HW smaller than he is? I wonder the same about Igor Vovchenchyn in his day.

 

[Peteyandjia]

How about Cain Velasquez? Is there currently any HW smaller than he is? I wonder the same about Igor Vovchenchyn in his day.

And of course the classic example of 5'10" Fedor running shit for 10 years at HW.

 

[BigMuffler]

How about Cain Velasquez? Is there currently any HW smaller than he is? I wonder the same about Igor Vovchenchyn in his day.

Here are a few more puny top fighters:

Cormier is the smallest LHW in height and pretty small in weight (has said he diets down to 218 before cutting, while Glover for example has cut 30 lbs)
Wonderboy was actually a tiny WW in weight coming in the first Woodley fight at 178 but has bulked up some since, still not too big
Shevchenko is a tiny BW who cuts less than 10 lbs
Mighty Mouse is pretty small even for FLW, has reported walking around at 138
NeoTate (the one that beat Holm) might not count but Strikeforce Tate walked around 142-144 and was a top fighter and once champion
Carla Esparza and Tecia Torres (self explanatory, but some might argue that is partly because SW was undeveloped back then and fighters their size are being phased out)

Rumble is the smallest one of all, he is a WW dominating LHW.