How and why did FWs get so big?

[davisxp]

6"3 Luis Pena plans on cutting to FW his next fight.. they're only getting bigger

Stefan Struve fighting at 145 is just a matter of time.

 

[Defeat Unknown]

It's getting absolutely insane. I asked Jens Pulver, the first UFC lightweight champion, what he walked around at. He told me about 165 pounds. It's believable too, considering how tiny he looks compared to even modern featherweights, and that he ended his career fighting at 135.

Now? Lightweights like Khabib and Ferguson are in the 190-200 pound weight range, almost as big as young versions of Wanderlei and Tito Ortiz.

It's quite alarming how many lightweights have admitted they weigh upwards of 205 in between fights. I remember when Paul Felder had a fight cancelled, and the next week he weighed in at 192 pounds at the next event (he was doing commentary, I believe, and hanging around at the weigh-ins). 192 a week after his scheduled fight is insane.

Listening to the MMA Hour this week, Kevin Lee was talking about how Max Holloway would be at an unfair advantage if he moved up to 155 because the lightweights are so much bigger. One would think 10 pounds wouldn't make that much of a difference, but in reality that 10 pounds is probably 20-30 pounds difference.

Extreme weight cutting ruins the whole sport.

 

[Stevanchez]

Aldo, top 10 p4p for 10 years.

Greatest

Those are just FW rankings, not P4P. Aldo was top 10 P4P for only about 8 years(2009-2017).

But, yes. He is the GFWOAT.

 

[JabToucher]

Stefan Struve fighting at 145 is just a matter of time.

He'd be unstoppable with that height!

 

[The Half Blood Prince]

Chad says he walks around at 160ish while max claims 185, i believe it considering that he couldn’t make the cut to 155 on short notice.

idk where ur getting your sources but apparently chad walked at 170 https://www.sportsjoe.ie/mma/chad-mendes-weight-168055
Also one example doesn't prove the theory

 

[Squintz]

I feel like the size difference between fw and bw is huge. Could you imagine tj or Cody fighting max?

~DaViD~

It’s cause it is when you’re like 5’5.

 

[BBMN]

LHW for example shifted from guys like Shogun, Rashad and Machida to guys like Gus, Jones and Davis.

Watching the this past weekend I couldn't help but be amazed/scared at the size and power of Thiago Santos and Jimi Manuwa. Those dudes are fucking massive and were delivering huge shots over and over. A lot of these guys are coming in well over 220lbs. I'd love to know the cage weight of these two as well as Anthony Smith.

 

[Loiosh]

Are they actually getting bigger? Or just training height?

at the shane carwin mma academy lol

 

[ZipZito]

Renato looked like Cub's big brother teaching him a lesson:

God damn that jab was beautiful. That was like a fuckin piston. Love seeing a jab drop someone, just not really Cub. Still amazing stuff

 

[TheExpert]

At one time Sean Sherk was considered to be a gargantuan 155 because he walked around as high as 180. But I think 145 may take the cake indeed.

Why is Dana White wearing and MIT shirt?

This is offensive. It's hard to go there.....

 

[Kertol]

I actually noticed and was thinking the same thing recently.

 

[5thDimensionMMA]

HGH.

 

[BuddyGuy]

They have ectomorph body type, they're tall but skinny

Exactly it seems that sub 170 its the better body type to have. At 170+ I feel like the knockout power negates the need to cut excessive weight and have a dumb reach advantage ....example Woodley vs till

 

[TheExpert]

I have a theory.

The level of striking in MMA is still so poor that a reach advantage is a huge deal. They don't throw combinations, closing the distance is rare. So, throwing punches out there with a bigger frame is advantageous.

But the top wrestlers are in their decline. We haven't seen either Conor or Max against the very best wrestlers in proper fight shape.

 

[Venom]

I don't think any other weightclass has experienced such a pronounced increase in size when comparing the old and new guards. When Cub fought Renato Moicano they seemed two classes apart. Not long ago, your average FW was between 5'6'' - 5'8'' and now there are several who are 5'11'' or taller. Zabit is 6'1''. Kinda unbelieveable really.
Obviously height =/= size, but the size difference between old and new FWs is remarkable. It's a whole new landscape in this weightclass.

Old guard:

Even guys like 5'8" Mirsad Bektic and Anthony Pettis start their diet at 180 lbs.

Weight wise I don't know if Zabit is there but his bone frame is large.

Holloway is definitely a heavy man for Featherweight.

 

[Drain Bamage]

5’10, 72 inch reach, 165 pounds lean is gonna be better sized than 5’6, 67 inch reach at 160.

So...

You're saying a taller, heavier and longer reach fighter has an advantage over a shorter, lighter and with less reach fighter.

I dunno man, think you might be *cough* reaching there a little...

 

[AtaTheCrow]

Also: USADA = less muscle mass = taller fighters.

More like *=taller fighter than in the past for the weight class

 

[fortheo]

Chad says he walks around at 160ish while max claims 185, i believe it considering that he couldn’t make the cut to 155 on short notice.

Chad stays in decent shape year round. Max's diet goes out the window when he's not in fight camp. Also, he was even heavier when he got the phone call to fight khabib because he had a seriously injured ankle for a month or two leading up to that date, thus he couldn't train or do cardio.

 

[PrepareForGlory]

Watching the this past weekend I couldn't help but be amazed/scared at the size and power of Thiago Santos and Jimi Manuwa. Those dudes are fucking massive and were delivering huge shots over and over. A lot of these guys are coming in well over 220lbs. I'd love to know the cage weight of these two as well as Anthony Smith.

Santos weighed 212 when he was fighting at MW. He fought in California on the TJ/Garbrandt card so they checked his cage weight.

212 at MW. Now he has 20 extra pounds to work with. I'd bet he weighs 225+ in the cage. Both him and Manuwa looked like Heavyweights. That fight was nuts.

 

[RoyJonesJr]

Same thing happened in the boxings HW division

Tyson Fury is 6'9
Deontay Wilder is 6′ 7″
AJ is 6′ 6″
WK is 6′ 6″