MMA vs Boxing weight division names

[Robbocop]

In boxing and MMA, when the weight divisions have the same name, it seems like in boxing they are much lighter than in MMA or in UFC.

In boxing light weight is 135 pounds max but in UFC light weight is 155 pounds
In boxing Middleweight is 160 pounds max but in UFC Middleweight is 185 pounds
In boxing Light heavyweight is 175 pounds max but in UFC light heavyweight is 205 pounds
In boxing cruiserweight is 200 pounds max, which does not exist in mma

Boxing's lightweight division is 20 pounds lighter, middleweight is 25 pounds lighter, LHW is 30 pounds lighter. I know there are more divisions in boxing, but why do the same names describe such different weight limits?

Does anybody know why that is?

 

[TITS]

Yeah, it's weird. I also think it's strange that cruiserweight is in between LHW and HW. And the have all these other divisions on "super middleweight" or "junior welterweight". They have adult men weighing in at 108 lbs, no idea what that division is called.

 

[Harlekin]

UFC was dumb back then and now they can't change it.
Boxing sells you 160 guys as middleweights.
UFC got 155 lightweights and 10% less are watching/paying, because lightweight doesn't sound cool.

 

[samuelsoncast]

In boxing and MMA, when the weight divisions have the same name, it seems like in boxing they are much lighter than in MMA or in UFC.

In boxing light weight is 135 pounds max but in UFC light weight is 155 pounds
In boxing Middleweight is 160 pounds max but in UFC Middleweight is 185 pounds
In boxing Light heavyweight is 175 pounds max but in UFC light heavyweight is 205 pounds
In boxing cruiserweight is 200 pounds max, which does not exist in mma

Boxing's lightweight division is 20 pounds lighter, middleweight is 25 pounds lighter, LHW is 30 pounds lighter. I know there are more divisions in boxing, but why do the same names describe such different weight limits?

Does anybody know why that is?

Yep.

It stems from the earlier weight classes when UFC divided them up into:

SuperHeavyweight (No weight limit)
Light Heavyweight (up to 200 lb / 90.7 kg)
Middleweight (up to 180 lb / 81.6 kg)
Lightweight (up to 160 lb / 72.6 kg)

(D)evolving them further wasn't as straight forward, esp given that they ended up maxed out at 265lbs for HW. It's a bastardised evolution of badly slotted alternatives when the rosters grew.

Also, Japan had slightly different weight category variation with LHW being up to I think it was 210 or 215.

Once the weight classes were set, it was very difficult to alter them as commissions were involved and if they didn't follow the same naming structure, they'd have to make one up from scratch.

Fatweight.
Goodweight.
Healthyweight.
Cutsomeweight.
Cuttoomuchweight.
Needstoeatmoreweight.

 

[oski]

 

[Koala]

Because when boxing started gaining momentum, people were smaller and lighter

 

[Bobby Fischer]

In boxing cruiserweight is 200 pounds max, which does not exist in mma

Cruiserweight does indeed exist in MMA (205 to 225 lbs.)

And I'd like UFC to adopt it, as well as super heavyweight.

 

[Dr. Rose]

Kickboxing is close to boxing but still different. And in KB, the different orgs set the names and weights different from each other. Some are super close, being different by mere fractions.

Personally, scrap the names and the use of lbs, and make divisions every five kilos.

 

[arcadeperfect]

Because when boxing started gaining momentum, people were smaller and lighter

They were at the weight people are supposed to be. The average man has no business weighing 195lbs.

 

[arcadeperfect]

Boxing weight classes are better. Middleweight should represent an average sized guy, hence why 160lbs is appropriate. In what world are guys like Costa, Rockhold, and Weidman anywhere near the average sized male?

 

[Corrado Soprano]

The UFC’s weight divisions are dumb and so random.

 

[Clark Rogers]

Man it's almost like different sports have different criteria.

 

[Daniel_LaRusso]

UFC started off with fewer divisions and tried to copy boxing to resonate with fans by copying boxing weight class names.
Instead they should have just gone with 185lbs division, etc. Fair enough to call the heaviest division heavyweight but yeah 185 division and the men in it who are typically over 6ft 200lbs do not resemble “middle weights”