Best way to prevent weight cutting?

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tdluxon

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Weight cutting is clearly a big problem in mma right now, both in terms of fights getting canceled, and with fighter safety.

Still though, I've yet to hear a solution that I think would really resolve the issue. One common suggestion is having guys weigh in right before the fight... to me it seems like that would just make guys cut weight the morning of the fight and go into the fight dehydrated, which is even worse. Another suggestion is 2 separate weigh ins, one a while before, the second right before the fight... seems like the same problem, guys would just cut weight twice, before each cut, which is just as bad or worse.

The best idea I've heard is requiring a hydration test at the weigh in so you have to meet a certain level of hydration to be allowed to weigh in. Another idea would be surprise weigh ins as part of the drug testing program that requires you be within a certain range when they show up for a surprise test. Still, neither idea seems like it would totally resolve it.

Thoughts?
 
Crazy how weight cutting is such a big part of the fight game. it’s sad that many of these guys are literally killing them selves to make weight. People are passing out or their bodies are shutting down on them during fight week. Wish it wasn’t about fighting the smallest guys possible and people fought at their natrural weight classes. I tip my hat to guys like Poirier, Yancy, Rumble, and Masvidal for moving up to their more natural weight classes (and also having success). There are more but I just can’t think of any. That’s why Frankie will always be one of the GOAT’s for me. Dude won a belt in a division where he was the smallest guy in the entire division! And during the time the sport was developed. He didn’t do it during a time where the sport was brand new. That’s insane. You’ll never see that again.

Really do hope a solution is found. I’m sure they’ll always find a way to cheat the system just like they will with drug testing.
 
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2 weigh-ins, one of them right before the fight.


Dock fighters 30% of their purse if their weight difference is too dramatic ( around 5 lbs or so).
 
If you weigh above your class at any given time, you must move up. Remove HW cap
 
truthisfreedom said:
2 weighins, one of them right before the fight.....dock fighters 30% of their purse if their weight difference is too dramatic
Click to expand...
See, to me this seems dangerous too because you'd have guys dehydrating themselves right before the fight for the second weigh in
 
Same day weigh-ins, fines for every pound over. Same day as in right before walking to the cage. The fight would still go on if the fighter was overweight, just with deductions from their purse. It wouldn't be as difficult to regulate as doping. It's just deciding if it is worth the hassle to regulate it at all.
 
Take away massive amounts of $$$$$$ for missing weight.
 
Make the penalties severe. Heftier fines plus suspension.

Maybe 25% fine, 6 month suspension for the first offense and 50% fine, 1 year suspension for a second offense. Miss weight twice in one weight class, banned from that weight class
 
tdluxon said:
Weight cutting is clearly a big problem in mma right now, both in terms of fights getting canceled, and with fighter safety.

Still though, I've yet to hear a solution that I think would really resolve the issue. One common suggestion is having guys weigh in right before the fight... to me it seems like that would just make guys cut weight the morning of the fight and go into the fight dehydrated, which is even worse. Another suggestion is 2 separate weigh ins, one a while before, the second right before the fight... seems like the same problem, guys would just cut weight twice, before each cut, which is just as bad or worse.

The best idea I've heard is requiring a hydration test at the weigh in so you have to meet a certain level of hydration to be allowed to weigh in. Another idea would be surprise weigh ins as part of the drug testing program that requires you be within a certain range when they show up for a surprise test. Still, neither idea seems like it would totally resolve it.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
I think fighters should be required to be 5 pounds (at most) a week before the official weigh in day. That will give a fighter enough time (5-7 days) to cut the last 5 pounds, if they will have problems we will know sooner than weigh in day.

Also it gives more time for a replacement so the fighter that worked hard to do it right doesnt lose money and can still fight.
 
Solution 1:
You make the weight-in 10 minutes before the fight
- if you fail, you still fight, but you are obliged to give 75% of your pay to your opponent

Solution 2:
More weight classes, just like in boxing
- fighters will still try to get the maximum advantage, imo

Solution 3:
A Usada weight-in stuff, they come at you unnaunouced (outside competition) and see how much you weight
You must have the same weight all the time, outside competition and during the fight
If you want to go to another class, you announce.

Solution 4:
Openweight for everybody


Dana doesn't like any of that, by the way!
 
i have the answer, but its top secret so dont tell anyone, here it is:

FIGHT AT THE WEIGHT YOU WALK AROUND IN
 
Height classes

But we'd probably get guys trying ot fucking cut height and end up with crooked spines and shit
 
They already have USADA taking doping samples, wouldn't be too much to ask them to weigh them at the same time and allow at max +10% to weight class. So a 205lbs (LHW) guy could weigh max 225lbs out of competition. Always morning weigh ins with a couple hours notice so no one gets completely stuffed just before the weigh in.
 
They need to do random year-round weigh-ins to develop long-term weight records for fighters. That's at a minimum. From there, they two clear options:

1. Fight-time weigh-ins, as you suggest. No rehydration time by enforcement = no dehydration time by choice. The idea would be that fighters would naturally get to a range within their weight class during camp. No fighter would set out to cut weight, because the advantage would be entirely removed along with that rehydration time. The problem with this idea would be fighters fucking up their diet during camp, and thus having to pull out of the fight, or worse, cut the remaining pounds without the intention of rehydrating, which is obviously very bad. This is why the year-round weigh-ins are essential. Matchmakers would have to take responsibility for the fighters they book. The culture of the sport would need to change, with fighters being encouraged not to drift too far from their fight weight out of camp. I don't know the science nor the effectiveness of these hydration tests I'm always hearing about, but they couldn't hurt either.

2. The solution I prefer would just be to get rid of weight classes. They're a dated idea. The UFC doesn't need them anymore. Unlike boxing, they're organized enough and have a finite (~500-600) number of bookable fighters, that it's possible to have a year-round random weigh-in system. Unlike amateur wrestling, matches don't and can't take place regularly, for health reasons; the average UFC fighters only fights twice per year. Anyway, fighters should just be matched up based on their known weight, height, and reach stats; a rigid division system isn't necessary. This'd remove divisional separations and allow for many more matchmaking possibilities. The only downside to me would be that fighters who get out of shape out of camp would be at a bigger disadvantage than they already are, as they'd be matched up against bigger fighters more often. But at least that'd provide more incentive for them to not get so out of shape. This would improve the title system too, which everyone's always complaining about. Titles wouldn't be attached to any particular size or weight. All champions would just be champions. No more interim titles, because there'd be no more divisions. Champions, like all fighters, would only be allowed to fight fighters who are of a similar size. If at any point, there are two champions of a similar size at the same time, it'd make sense to book a unification fight. If at any point, there are no champions around a certain size range, and there's a fighter who's dominant, he/she can be booked to fight for a new title.
 
Arrange more fights at catchweight.
 
Do what ONE FC does -- hydration testing.

Keep the weigh-in the day before the fight because it's great marketing tool and a good chance for fans to see the fighters face off, but also do hydration testing at the weigh-in to ensure fighters aren't dehydrated. If a fighter fails the hydration test, it's the same as missing weight.

They should probably do a preliminary hydration test a few days before the weigh-in, so if anyone is dehydrated at that time, they can hydrate sufficiently to pass the official test at the weigh-in.
 
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