How do you define a "frame" for a weightclass?

[GoatArtemLobov]

What comes into play?
Is it height? Reach? "Natural" thickness (but how do you know your "natural" weightclass?)

Izzy might for instance be 6'4, but he could easily make WW (30 pounds is not big of a cut for MMA standards).
Luis Pena is 6'3 and almost fought at FW.
Guys like Deron Winn or Cormier are often getting called lazy with their diet since they are 5 inches to small for their weightclass, but maybe they are just built that way.

A buddy of mine is 6.6 and fights at WW, he walks around at 185, eats as much as he can, does his strength training, but the more he trains (running, sparring, pads, things that are very aerobic) the more he loses all the weight and can't get heavier than that. He could almost fight at LW if he was a pro who could afford going through a real weight cut.
Of course he gets called a weight cheater everytime he fights, but it's just how he is built.


So how would you define a "natural" frame for a division ?

 

[Brutus.......]

Whatever frame carries the weight that allows someone to make weight for the target division.

Taller is probably better, but some short guys are successful too.

 

[LoadedZeus]

Consists of a bit of everything related to size. Think most relevant attribute when talking about frame would how big and wide the fighters upper body is, especially back size. For example, Aleksandar Rakic vs Thiago Santos: Rakic is taller and has more reach but Thiago Santos has the bigger body frame for sure

 

[GoatArtemLobov]

Whatever frame carries the weight that allows someone to make weight for the target division.

Taller is probably better, but some short guys are successful too.

I think it has a lot to do with shoulder width and bone thickness too.
I'm for instance 6'2 and weigh around 175, which is pretty low, but maybe is it because I have a small shoulder width and super thin bones and tiny hands.
I tried to put on a lil weight to move up a weight class (I compete in bjj) but weighing 10 pounds more just makes me gas and become slow... I'm just kindof a blow up 167.5er trying to fight at 181...

 

[GoatArtemLobov]

Consists of a bit of everything related to size. Think most relevant attribute when talking about frame would how big and wide the fighters upper body is, especially back size. For example, Aleksandar Rakic vs Thiago Santos: Rakic is taller and has more reach but Thiago Santos has the bigger body frame for sure

That's a good point I think, even though it's not absolute.
Conor looks to have a bigger back than Khabib yet is lighter for instance.
Could as well why Izzy weighs 200 pound (which makes him a WW) while being freaking 6'4

 

[Masturbin]

Real H m and fake Hw

 

[Franklin U.]

Performance/ cardio/ comfort defines your class. Your " frame " could only be a genetic / bad luck- good luck thing if you're what I call a " tweener" . If you're truly elite like a DC then your on the good side of things. I dont consider gastelum an " elite " middleweight. He enjoys his standing due to the horrible condition of 185. If there's someone out there that could bring out his best while making weight , 170 is where he belongs and " elite " at that. I always think of him when physical density is a topic

 

[Brutus.......]

It’s complex, and ultimately depends on how a person uses their particular physique. I think reach is particularly important, more so than height. Natural dynamic explosiveness regardless of height and frame is probably most critical.

A lot of the GOAT candidates are quite tall for their weight class, Silva, Jones etc. But guys like Fedor, DC and Volkanowski are quite short. Guys like Fedor and GSP had big reaches for their height.

 

[Viva]

Stipe's right arm looks like it could topple a 3rd world country if he waved too fast.

 

[GoatArtemLobov]

Real H m and fake Hw

Stipe looks of course bigger than Bader (who really isn't a HW) but he is one of those guys who are heavier than they look.
It's crazy to imagine he is only 10 pounds lighter than a guy like Gane, especially when he fought DC

 

[Iron Nick]

The amount of natural body mass someone has, or rather can put on, is (mainly) determined by:

• bone length
• bone circumference
• width of: shoulders, hips and ribcage

Adesanya is tall and has long arms - but his bones are thin, which is why he's actually not a huge guy for his weightclass.
Alexander Volkanovski is really short - but his ribcage and shoulders are wide and his bones are thick, making him actually a decently sized, if not a somewhat big guy for his weightclass.

 

[Chomsky Honk]

You gotta look at the skeleton, from there your eyes can make out is it muscle or mcdonalds on top of the skeleton.

 

[GoatArtemLobov]

Performance/ cardio/ comfort defines your class. Your " frame " could only be a genetic / bad luck- good luck thing if you're what I call a " tweener" . If you're truly elite like a DC then your on the good side of things. I dont consider gastelum an " elite " middleweight. He enjoys his standing due to the horrible condition of 185. If there's someone out there that could bring out his best while making weight , 170 is where he belongs and " elite " at that. I always think of him when physical density is a topic

True.
Kelvin fighting in the same weightclass as Costa doesn't make any sense at all, he looks barely bigger than a LW when you look at him, but he just has that thick build and is heavier than he looks.
I was also completely shocked when Dustin said he walks around at 190 (I mean you would imagine from a 5'8 guy who weighs 190 to look bigger than Dustin...)

 

[Buckland]

Draw an outline of a person from the front view, that is their "frame." The distance to their extremities and width of their body will be easy to see when you think of it in 2D

 

[smalliebiggs]

skeleton comes into play. think of a bigger framed guy having more spaced out bones or wider. and bigger guys will have longer and/or thicker bones

 

[Johnnny]

A buddy of mine is 6.6 and fights at WW, he walks around at 185, eats as much as he can, does his strength training, but the more he trains (running, sparring, pads, things that are very aerobic) the more he loses all the weight and can't get heavier than that. He could almost fight at LW if he was a pro who could afford going through a real weight cut.
Of course he gets called a weight cheater everytime he fights, but it's just how he is built.

If he consistently consumed more calories than his body burned, he would gain mass due to being in a caloric surplus.

 

[Portland8242]

Israel is narrow at the shoulders so with an 80" reach you know his arms are long asf. Super ideal frame for MW, not thick enough so it makes for some ridiculous weight cut but well built enough in his legs, hips and core that he's not going to get outmuscled.

Rockhold has a similar tall/long frame but carries around a fair bit more mass on his frame which made for some very, very tough weight cuts for him to get down to 185.

 

[Masturbin]

Stipe looks of course bigger than Bader (who really isn't a HW) but he is one of those guys who are heavier than they look.
It's crazy to imagine he is only 10 pounds lighter than a guy like Gane, especially when he fought DC

This is the most mindblowing shit imo

 

[GoatArtemLobov]

The amount of natural body mass someone has, or rather can put on, is (mainly) determined by:

• bone length
• bone circumference
• width of: shoulders, hips and ribcage

Adesanya is tall and has long arms - but his bones are thin, which is why he's actually not a huge guy (for his weightclass.
Alexander Volkanovski is really short - but his ribcage and shoulders are wide and his bones are thick, making him actually a decently sized, if not a somewhat big guy for his weightclass.

That makes a lot of sense.
This is off topic but I think unless you are an elite striker like Izzy who can capitalize on being way taller than everyone he fights, it's generally a disandvantage to have small bone circumference and small width of shoulders, hips and ribcage.
It seems like it's good either you are tall and thick and you fight at LHW or HW, or you're small/average size and thick and you fight in the smaller weight classes.
But you have to be thick, and tall and thin is generally a bad combination.

 

[Paolo Delutis]

What comes into play?
Is it height? Reach? "Natural" thickness (but how do you know your "natural" weightclass?)

Izzy might for instance be 6'4, but he could easily make WW (30 pounds is not big of a cut for MMA standards).
Luis Pena is 6'3 and almost fought at FW.
Guys like Deron Winn or Cormier are often getting called lazy with their diet since they are 5 inches to small for their weightclass, but maybe they are just built that way.

A buddy of mine is 6.6 and fights at WW, he walks around at 185, eats as much as he can, does his strength training, but the more he trains (running, sparring, pads, things that are very aerobic) the more he loses all the weight and can't get heavier than that. He could almost fight at LW if he was a pro who could afford going through a real weight cut.
Of course he gets called a weight cheater everytime he fights, but it's just how he is built.


So how would you define a "natural" frame for a division ?

Your boy should get a dietician ...clearly not eating properly lol...