Why do the heavier weight classes lack young contenders?

[nick jacoby]

UFC

Why is that the lighter weight classes always have young up and comers but
the LWH and HW divisions never seem to have young fighters on the come up?

Hw's have Ngannou and.........
curtis blaydes? Junior Albini?

 

[DarkneT]

Because NFL pays more when you're that size

As does McDonald's

 

[Phi-]

Mentally you have to be a special type of person to fight at HW. Getting hit by a 240lbs dude is scary and more dangerous than at the lower weights, no matter how big you are yourself.

 

[BigMuffler]

HW is a more skill based division, unlike others it values actual skill and experience over youthful speed and athleticism.

 

[awymore]

Well when you graduated from high school, how many of your classmates weighed 240+ pounds, not including the just morbidly obese ones? Then out of that small number, how many hadn't already received athletic scholarships for football, baseball, or basketball?

 

[koclem]

UFC

Why is that the lighter weight classes always have young up and comers but
the LWH and HW divisions never seem to have young fighters on the come up?

Hw's have Ngannou and.........
curtis blaydes? Junior Albini?

the roids and hgh take years to bulk you up to HW size

 

[Wizzlebiz]

The avg male is 5 foot 10 inches tall. 170lbs.

Yoy are talking about above avg weights and heights.. You do the math

 

[RiseAboveHat]

Only freaks exist at Heavyweight

 

[Pequeño Corey]

The temptation of being a bouncer at the local strip joint is just too much to resist. Most don't consider an MMA career until after they've worn out the high paced, glamorous, cocaine fueled joyride that accompanies beating the shit out of local drunks for minimum wage.

 

[tenniswhiz]

The younger guys haven't grown yet.

 

[quantiqus]

You guys are talking about the fact that there are not so many people to have over 6.2 and over 240 pounds, but there were times when the HW was clearly more stacked than now.

 

[pick999]

NBA has better pay

Top 50 player gets 1m plus sponsors which another millions easily a year


Top hw fighter stipe complains about 1 fight a year getting 500k plus 20k rebok sponor money
And he is the champ!

 

[BALLERSTATUSMCG]

USADA

 

[skylolow]

Well when you graduated from high school, how many of your classmates weighed 240+ pounds, not including the just morbidly obese ones? Then out of that small number, how many hadn't already received athletic scholarships for football, baseball, or basketball?

A lot of truth right there.

You can add in the factor that many of these big guys have gone through life carrying the persona of being a a tough SOB because of there size. They rarely get tested by peers growing up. But just like everyone else not all of them have that fighter instinct in them.

Also lets not forget MMA/Martial Arts isn't exactly the cheapest or easiest sport to get into and continue with it from a young age. Simple Martial Arts school can charge over $100 a month. Not a lot of parents are jumping at that. But the major sports are offered at a majority of the schools for very little money.

 

[IsNormal]

The avg male is 5 foot 10 inches tall. 170lbs.

But that doesn't explain why there seems to have been more competition at HW in the past.

Because NFL pays more when you're that size

Yes, but they always have.
Doesn't explain why there seems to be fewer good heavyweights now than when the previous generation.
When the old generation of heavyweights started training MMA there was way less money in it compared to today.

 

[shino]

Some of the reason for this is many of the HW's in small orgs are guys who are out of shape LHW's who train at small gyms. They just fight cuz it's the thing to do and don't train or diet at a serious pro level.

 

[IsNormal]

My theory is:
1. Randomness. It just takes about 5-10 athletes to make or break a division. It's very random how it all turns out. For no apparent reason, some divisions are only stacked during some eras.

2. Weight cutting nowadays is more extreme. Fewer people can move up to HW and kick ass if they aren't natural heavyweights.

3. Audience is less obsessed with HW now.
HW used to be a huge deal. Some fans just cared about heavier weight classes (both in boxing, kickboxing, MMA etc)
I remember hearing "the heavyweight belt is the only one that counts". Not many people say that today.
Now fans care more about lighter weight classes too.
So I guess that that extra focus on HW in the past drew more athletes to attempt to become the HW champ. And now some of that extra attention is gone.

 

[GreatSaintGuillotine]

There used to be less weight classes and a higher demand for HW fighters. Now interest in HW has dropped so they aren't looking for more young blood like they should be.

Plus NBA, NFL, WWE, kickboxing, and boxing get to them before MMA. We tend to get leftovers.

 

[superpunch]

They're out there. The UFC just doesn't sign them. Watch other orgs and there are guys that can clearly compete with and probably beat the UFCs HWs and LHWs.

I don't think there's a lack of talent at those 2 divisions. I think that the UFC just doesn't have all the best fighters in the world at them.

One major problem is that the UFC just doesn't cut anyone with a name anymore. Gomi is what like a 5 loss streak now? This never used to happen in the old UFC. A 3 fight skid was a guaranteed cut unless you're prime GSP, then you might be able to go 4.

How many old HWs have gone on losing streaks? Half the division should have been cut with random young guys replacing them a long time ago. Then those young guys getting cut after going 0-2 or 0-3 and the UFC trying newer young guys to replace them.

The UFC just doesn't want Bellator to have anyone with a name to build their org with and so they keep these guys taking up roster space long after they should have been cut. Back when PRIDE was around, this didn't happen since there was already a clear no. 2 org anyway and a Josh Barnett going to a Bellator tier org didn't change the MMA landscape.

I'm half convinced that if Tim Sylvia didn't leave to fight Fedor back around 2010, he'd still somehow be hanging on as a gatekeeper just so a second tier org wouldn't get a "UFC champion".

 

[Akabignasty]

Some of them are at LHW.