Checking weight with USADA sample collection

[elwani]

Why don't they just check a fighter's weight every time they're randomly tested for PEDs, then limit the weight that a fighter can fight at to no less than, for example, 90% of the average of their weight during these checks.

Wouldn't this basically solve the weight cutting problem at absolutely no additional cost?

 

[Gorkle]

Hendricks would never be allowed to fight again at any weight class, due to being a fat bastard outside camp.

And during camp. And weigh ins. And fight night.

 

[elwani]

Hendricks would never be allowed to fight again at any weight class, due to being a fat bastard outside camp.

And during camp. And weigh ins. And fight night.

I was going to say, this would probably even help fighters like Hendricks by protecting them from themselves.

 

[AimedWithV]

Why don't they just check a fighter's weight every time they're randomly tested for PEDs, then limit the weight that a fighter can fight at as no less than, for example, 90% of the average of their weight during these checks.

Wouldn't this basically solve the weight cutting problem at absolutely no additional cost?

Because it's not supposed to be checked randomly, but constantly.

 

[JT RIPPER]

Too many variables...
In or out of competition
Everyone's body is different, they cut at different rates...especially at random test dates

The only time you can do that and monitor it is weigh in day weight versus fight night weight and have a max weight difference

 

[Ceez]

THey should just ban fighters from divisions by weighing them again an hour before they step into the octagon and if they are more then 10lbs heavier than the class limit they can no longer fight in that class

 

[elwani]

Because it's not supposed to be checked randomly, but constantly.

Just because you can't do something perfectly doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything at all that improves the situation.

Ideally a doctor would monitor our health 24/7. Doesn't mean I'm going to turn down a solution that lets a doctor check on me more often if there's no additional inconvenience or cost, just because it's not 24/7.

 

[elwani]

Too many variables...
In or out of competition
Everyone's body is different, they cut at different rates...especially at random test dates

The only time you can do that and monitor it is weigh in day weight versus fight night weight and have a max weight difference

There's always a lot variables to weight, with this scheme and with the current scheme.

The only question is whether there are more variables with this scheme than the current scheme, whether those additional variables have any negative impact, and whether the negatives outweigh the positives of eliminating dangerous weight cuts.

 

[elwani]

THey should just ban fighters from divisions by weighing them again an hour before they step into the octagon and if they are more then 10lbs heavier than the class limit they can no longer fight in that class

The problem with that is, from a business perspective, there would be too much risk of fights getting cancelled an hour before the event.

 

[AimedWithV]

Just because you can't do something perfectly doesn't mean you shouldn't do anything at all that improves the situation.

Ideally a doctor would monitor our health 24/7. Doesn't mean I'm going to turn down a solution that lets a doctor check on me more often if there's no additional inconvenience or cost, just because it's not 24/7.

Random test = doing nothing.

You cannot decide anything when you check the fighter's weight only once. It's like trying to understand the car's speed from the photograph.

You need to do series of checks, periodic and consecutive ones. The more the merrier.

 

[elwani]

Random test = doing nothing.

You cannot decide anything when you check the fighter's weight only once. It's like trying to understand the car's speed from the photograph.

You need to do series of checks, periodic and consecutive ones. The more the merrier.

Well, the proposal is to do the weight checks with the USADA sample collection, which happens multiple times and randomly between fights.

 

[Rittsy]

Because USADA don’t offer that service. That’s like asking why your electrician can’t fix your cable.

Aside from that:

Scales need to be accurate. Does USADA bring their own? How do fighter know they haven’t been tampered with? How do they verify? Is a person from the Commission attending, and therefore can the testing be random? What if the fighter gets on the scales and is dehydrated, or fully hydrated? What if they lose weight easily, so don’t start their ‘fat’ cut until late into camp?

There are too many variables. It took years to establish a fair way to drug test and that’s still open to abuse.

 

[Katsumi Yamada]

Don't let dehydrated fighters step into the scales.

Problem solved. It's already been done in other promotions.

Everyone would move up a division but in the grand scheme of things who cares?

 

[Willek]

How about people weigh in at what it says on their fucking contract. I know we aren't wearing Condom Depot apparel anymore so lets try to be professional.

 

[elwani]

Because USADA don’t offer that service. That’s like asking why your electrician can’t fix your cable.

Aside from that:

Scales need to be accurate. Does USADA bring their own? How do fighter know they haven’t been tampered with? How do they verify?

There are too many variables. It took years to establish a fair way to drug test and that’s still open to abuse.

That's not really an apt comparison. My electrician doesn't fix my cable because it requires a different skill set and it's a different company. It doesn't require any skills to weigh someone.

In regards to scales, yes I would imagine that the tester brings their own. It would be the easiest thing for a fighter to verify and sign off on the figure, just weigh yourself using one of your own scales. Also since it is an average, small perturbations in any single test should not matter.

Again, the question is are there more variables than the current scheme? One might argue there are less since averaging reduces variability.

 

[Pacemaker Joe]

Easier would be to weed out those that are abusing it, and just mandate than anyone who misses weight or is pulled from a fight due to a bad cut more than once has to move up. Anyone can get the flu and have a fucked up cut, but when it happens repeatedly, something's wrong.

That still leaves guys like Conor at FW looking like a prisoner from Auschwitz, but it fixes some of the issues. Add in the sort of thing California is doing as well.

 

[elwani]

Don't let dehydrated fighters step into the scales.

Problem solved. It's already been done in other promotions.

Everyone would move up a division but in the grand scheme of things who cares?

The problem is how would you precisely define what it means to be dehydrated?

 

[UJustGotChaeld]

Why don't they just check a fighter's weight every time they're randomly tested for PEDs, then limit the weight that a fighter can fight at to no less than, for example, 90% of the average of their weight during these checks.

Wouldn't this basically solve the weight cutting problem at absolutely no additional cost?

Some guys blow up and get fat. WW fighters between fights get up to as much as 220.

A better solution is hydration tests and same day weighin right before the fight to ensure they have not gained too much weight. A good cutoff would be the next weight division up, so a WW fighter could not be over 185 on fight night.

 

[UJustGotChaeld]

The problem is how would you precisely define what it means to be dehydrated?

With a hydration test, it's already defined.

 

[elwani]

Easier would be to weed out those that are abusing it, and just mandate than anyone who misses weight or is pulled from a fight due to a bad cut more than once has to move up. Anyone can get the flu and have a fucked up cut, but when it happens repeatedly, something's wrong.

That still leaves guys like Conor at FW looking like a prisoner from Auschwitz, but it fixes some of the issues. Add in the sort of thing California is doing as well.

So basically define "abuser" as someone who has missed weight on more than one occasion? But how many such people has there been in the history of the UFC, probably less than 10?

You would still have the problem of fighters trying to make dangerous weight cuts, and perhaps fights being less exciting because of the weight cuts.