The UFC should put hard 7.5% rehydration limits on weight

[Otto!]

I agree with TS 100%. Sure there are fighters who are still going to miss weight, but let them fight and increase the damn fines.

Funny how some fans are afraid to hold the fighters accountable.

 

[rorschach51]

Wouldn't this put an end to one fighter having a weight advantage in most cases? I wonder why the UFC doesn't do something like this.

 

[bufetadanacara]

OR

just weigh in 3 hours before the fight.

Problem solved.

I like this the best. And don't give me the shit about it being too dangerous. Usually, fighters have 6 months to prepare for a fight.

More rules is never the answer.
Plus, it would cause a re-alignment of all divisions and there may be new champions because of it. It would spice things up and make things interesting.

 

[Fyreborn]

Having a rehydration limit of only fucking 7.5% would be insanely dangerous. Silly idea.

Fighters wouldn’t be fully rehydrated for fights. They’d be fighting partially dehydrated. The idea isn’t to make fighting *more* dangerous...

 

[wtkace**]

How about weight in 4 hours before actual event? Instead of 1 day earlier.

 

[rorschach51]

Having a rehydration limit of only fucking 7.5% would be insanely dangerous. Silly idea.

Fighters wouldn’t be fully rehydrated for fights. They’d be fighting partially dehydrated. The idea isn’t to make fighting *more* dangerous...

I think the idea would be fighters would need to actually trim down closer to the 7.5% limit as their walk around weight, so when they cut down to 170, 182.75 or whatever that number was would be them actually fully re-hydrated.

 

[NationWideNinja]

Imagine if everyone fought at their real weight division. Frankie would still be at 145 and he'd be mauling guys like TJ,Cody, and Cruz.

 

[Seaside]

Yep, this can easily be accomplished by weighing the fighter again as they step into the octagon. You don't have to cancel the fight if they are over-weight; just take away 50% of their purse (1st offense), and then 75% for 2nd offense onward.

They will quickly learn it's not worth it, just like using PEDs in the USADA era.

Also force them into the next division after 2 failed weigh ins. The fact some fighters have fucking 3x or 4x is ridiculous

 

[Fyreborn]

I think the idea would be fighters would need to actually trim down closer to the 7.5% limit as their walk around weight, so when they cut down to 170, 182.75 or whatever that number was would be them actually fully re-hydrated.

You can have that idea as your ideal fantasy utopia scenario, but you need to live in the real world.

In the real world, this would cause fighters to not fight fully rehydrated.

 

[Benoitthegr8]

Wouldn't this put an end to one fighter having a weight advantage in most cases? I wonder why the UFC doesn't do something like this.

600 fighters on the roster and this would be a logistical nightmare to keep tabs on these guys and gals.

 

[Stranger Come Knocking]

Fighters will continue to destroy their central nervous system the day before a fight. This means shit tier fights for fans

 

[rorschach51]

You can have that idea as your ideal fantasy utopia scenario, but you need to live in the real world.

In the real world, this would cause fighters to not fight fully rehydrated.

Okay, but if the 7.5% re-hydration thing was a actual rule why would they not do that? They would just be hurting themselves and their chances of winning if they were still dehydrated. You would either have to get your walk-around weight closer to the 7.5% re-hydration max or switch to a higher weightclass if you wanted to remain competitive.

 

[Seaside]

I think it's ridiculous how much weight MMA fighters cut. This has been discussed to death, but eventually someone is going to outright die from weight cuts in the UFC. And weight cutting makes the brain more vulnerable to TBI's, which is detrimental to a fighters long term health.

Why don't they just implement hard 7.5% rehydration caps? For example, if you fight at 170, 7.5% of 170 is 12.75 pounds. Thus, welterweight fighters shouldn't under any circumstance be allowed to walk into the cage heavier than 182.75 pounds. Obviously this is just an example -- you could up that number to 10% rehydration (187 pound hard limit for walk-in to cage at welterweight), at least to start.

Also, regardless of whether this is implemented -- every fighter should be weighed walking into the cage, and their weight published. We should know exactly how much each fighter weighs in the cage. This public information would at least help start a dialogue on extreme weight cutting.

Yep I just link your thread in a new thread I made. I agree.

Also, they can start weighing fighters 1 month out, 2 weeks out and 1 week out. If a fighter weighs more than 20lbs or 25lbs more than his division then he gets fined or has to move up.

So say for WW it is 10%, therefore cannot weigh more than 187lbs, then that means you cannot weigh more than say 193lbs 2 weeks out from the fight or 1 week. I say give a 5lb allowance for weigh in weights before they step into the cage to allow for food they may eat and water weight. Or rather maybe keep your 7.5% example or 8% example and then allow an additional 5lbs after that leading up to the FINAL weight they are weighed before they step into the cage.

Once you step into the cage that 5lb allowance is gone and you CANNOT weigh more than 7.5% or 8% or 10% above the weight limit of the division

 

[Darth_Inv1ctu5]

I think it's ridiculous how much weight MMA fighters cut. This has been discussed to death, but eventually someone is going to outright die from weight cuts in the UFC. And weight cutting makes the brain more vulnerable to TBI's, which is detrimental to a fighters long term health.

Why don't they just implement hard 7.5% rehydration caps? For example, if you fight at 170, 7.5% of 170 is 12.75 pounds. Thus, welterweight fighters shouldn't under any circumstance be allowed to walk into the cage heavier than 182.75 pounds. Obviously this is just an example -- you could up that number to 10% rehydration (187 pound hard limit for walk-in to cage at welterweight), at least to start.

Also, regardless of whether this is implemented -- every fighter should be weighed walking into the cage, and their weight published. We should know exactly how much each fighter weighs in the cage. This public information would at least help start a dialogue on extreme weight cutting.

They should just do weigh-ins of every fighter once a week year round and if you're fighting at 170 but year-round you've averaged 195, you get hot-swapped for another fighter who.actually walks around at 160-180.

Also, introduce Big Rigg Buffet weight class, no weight limit

 

[Fyreborn]

Okay, but if the 7.5% re-hydration thing was a actual rule why would they not do that? They would just be hurting themselves and their chances of winning if they were still dehydrated. You would either have to get your walk-around weight closer to the 7.5% re-hydration max or switch to a higher weightclass if you wanted to remain competitive.

Because they would know that their opponent is probably still pushing the weight cutting. So it’s choice between being fully hydrated, or being at a weight disadvantage. Many fighters would, rightly or wrongly, choose not to fully hydrate.

It’s stupid to even put them in that situation and force them to make this choice. Just let them cut weight same as they do now.

It’s crazy how so many MMA fans have problems with weight cutting anyway. I don’t hear boxing or wrestling fans whining and bitching about weight cutting like MMA fans do. I can only presume it’s because MMA is a new sport, with the hundred plus years tradition of boxing.

Weight cutting is a skill, like BJJ or boxing. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s an old ass idea, not a new one.

 

[soulsstealer]

why not just have weigh in on fight night?

 

[Nth-degree]

If the fighters would just step on a scale as they enter the octagon then the fans would have the data they need to force the matchups they want to see. The court of public opinion is a powerful thing.

 

[johncola]

They should just remove weight classes, weigh fighters year-round, and only book fighters of a similar size.

Weight classes are an old idea, and they're not needed anymore. They create weight cutting, and weight cutting is bad.

 

[rorschach51]

Because they would know that their opponent is probably still pushing the weight cutting. So it’s choice between being fully hydrated, or being at a weight disadvantage. Many fighters would, rightly or wrongly, choose not to fully hydrate.

It’s stupid to even put them in that situation and force them to make this choice. Just let them cut weight same as they do now.

It’s crazy how so many MMA fans have problems with weight cutting anyway. I don’t hear boxing or wrestling fans whining and bitching about weight cutting like MMA fans do. I can only presume it’s because MMA is a new sport, with the hundred plus years tradition of boxing.

Weight cutting is a skill, like BJJ or boxing. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s an old ass idea, not a new one.

I think you got me wrong, I could care less about weight cutting. I just thought it was a interesting idea, and was curious about your position on the subject. Personally I think a fighter would be at a better advantage fully re-hydrated going against someone who isn't even if their opponent had the weight advantage.

 

[Fyreborn]

I think you got me wrong, I could care less about weight cutting. I just thought it was a interesting idea, and was curious about your position on the subject. Personally I think a fighter would be at a better advantage fully re-hydrated going against someone who isn't even if their opponent had the weight advantage.

It might well be the case that a fully rehydrated fighter would have the edge. As I said, “rightly or wrongly”. Not being fully rehydrated could be a big competitive disadvantage.

Doesn’t change the fact that many fighters would risk fighting under-hydrated, and that with a rehydration limit, there would be pressure on them to do so.

It’s silly to even put fighters in that situation. The current system works fine. But if you do want to alter it, this is not the way to do it. It would make things more dangerous.