Could it be, that the more advanced the sport becomes, the less size advantage matters?

[BJpencil]

We're seeing people moving up weightclasses and being very successful nowadays, did people not try this before or is it working now because technique, training and game planning/strategies have come so much further?

Here are two fighters who moved up and became champs, DC too but he was HW from the start, and size at heavyweight is only an advantage up to a point anyway.

So if you are making that argument than I say that it is an advantage to fight in the heaviest weight class and not cut to get to lowest weight class. Look at Anthony Johnson. Aside from DC, he murdered everybody at LHW. No need to cut a lot of weight anymore, right?

 

[Sando]

Generally speaking, the more advanced and mature the sport gets, the smaller the margins will be. With smaller margins, details become more important.

Take for example cardio heavy, classic sports like track and field, marathons, cross country skiing and similar... Good technique and getting enough quality hours in is of course essential, but to really be up there with the best your oxygen uptake needs to be insane. No matter how skilled you are or how hard you train, you will never get to the top if you don't have the physical characteristics for it.

Considering this in MMA, I would believe that size (and even more importantly body composition and type) will be more important as time goes on, unless the sport becomes less popular.

 

[TheScorpionDude]

We're seeing people moving up weightclasses and being very successful nowadays, did people not try this before or is it working now because technique, training and game planning/strategies have come so much further?

Here are two fighters who moved up and became champs, DC too but he was HW from the start, and size at heavyweight is only an advantage up to a point anyway.

Those 2 "wins" against Romero pretty much broke his body.

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

We're seeing people moving up weightclasses and being very successful nowadays, did people not try this before or is it working now because technique, training and game planning/strategies have come so much further?

Here are two fighters who moved up and became champs, DC too but he was HW from the start, and size at heavyweight is only an advantage up to a point anyway.

It's the opposite. The more the sport advances, the more size differences matter. If a skilled fighter weighing 180 lbs fights an untrained man weighing 260 lbs, bet the house on the little guy. If a skilled fighter weighing 180 lbs fights another skilled fighter weighing 260 lbs, bet on the big guy.

Also, I had forgotten how bad of a beating Nunes put on Cyborg. Damn.

 

[iwillbebackin3weeks]

It's the opposite. The more the sport advances, the more size differences matter. If a skilled fighter weighing 180 lbs fights an untrained man weighing 260 lbs, bet the house on the little guy. If a skilled fighter weighing 180 lbs fights another skilled fighter weighing 260 lbs, bet on the big guy.

Also, I had forgotten how bad of a beating Nunes put on Cyborg. Damn.

define "untrained"

 

[Jorge Luis Borges]

define "untrained"

Not trying to be a bitch, but "untrained" needs to be clarified?

 

[MartiniSIDe]

So if you are making that argument than I say that it is an advantage to fight in the heaviest weight class and not cut to get to lowest weight class. Look at Anthony Johnson. Aside from DC, he murdered everybody at LHW. No need to cut a lot of weight anymore, right?

Lol Rumble is faaaaaar from a small LHW. Always thought that was a shoop but that's just Rumble ballooning to Super Mega Heavyweight in the offseason

 

[ferrisjso]

Weight classes were never there to protect the top contenders in each division, they are there to protect the lower ranked guys from being killed and the sport shutting down. But generally fighters are getting larger and the larger you are the less of a disadvantage being small is.

 

[iwillbebackin3weeks]

Not trying to be a bitch, but "untrained" needs to be clarified?

untrained in what? combat sports? sports in general?

Conor is 160-170 lbs big and he fought mountain (big mountain was just playin around while conor went 200%),

but that fight could have ended right here:

 

[dudefacemcghee]

Overall the opposite is happening

 

[tmnpothead]

Lol throwback

 

[Franklin U.]

I think the opposite. As guys get more well rounded and skilled, size may be the differentiator.

This is basically what it comes down to. Yes, we'll go through cycles of the lighter fighter coming up and winning but that's on the quality of the fighter.
Its basic common sense - if you take 2 truly equal fighters in talent and properly trained by the right parties --- the bigger man will usually best the lighter man.

It's why we have weight classes .

 

[ChickenBrother]

untrained in what? combat sports? sports in general?

Conor is 160-170 lbs big and he fought mountain (big mountain was just playin around while conor went 200%),

but that fight could have ended right here:

Conor should have gone 300% since he's tree times the size of him.

 

[submerged88]

Depends on your style of fighting as to how much size difference is a factor. Jorge did good in striking with till because of his style of fighting. Rory got mauled by gegard because he usually is the bigger fighter and his style was a bad match up with gegards style

 

[FlowchartRog]

There will always be a point where weight can nullify skill. Which is why the average man laughs at the 125-135 division. But the top 5 should be able to beat the #20-15 in class above them.

The average man has no right to laugh though, as he’d still get taken out extremely quick by almost every pro fighter in the world, even the lighter divisions.

Weight only matters when the skill and talent is somewhat close.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

No, I don't think that. I think some fighters fight better when they don't cut much weight and some can cut a bunch of weight and perform well. I think the last two match ups the size didn't matter much because both match ups were striker vs striker so the size doesn't matter as much when you aren't using it to wear down your opponent.

 

[WhuffieCollector]

The average man has no right to laugh though, as he’d still get taken out extremely quick by almost every pro fighter in the world, even the lighter divisions.

Weight only matters when the skill and talent is somewhat close.

Absolutely correct. Just look up the video of that fight in Russia between an MMA middleweight and a weightlifting champion. The fighters kills the weightlifter in about 10 seconds...the weightlifter is a highly trained extremely strong athlete, just not a fighter, and he never had a chance, despite at least an 80 pound weight advantage, likely more.

 

[Fahcough]

The average man has no right to laugh though, as he’d still get taken out extremely quick by almost every pro fighter in the world, even the lighter divisions.

Weight only matters when the skill and talent is somewhat close.

No he wouldn't. Unless the average man has different meaning in different places. Not some non athletic desk slouch. That's all a long back n forth for another topic though, no ones opinion will be swayed.

 

[GordoBarraBJJ]

Nunes and Cris are pretty much the same size - Nunes is not as lean and can shed body fat to make 135.

And size is always going to be a factor is skill sets are equal.

 

[Topguntrophey]

Not how it works in porn.