The Sport Is Too Much About Weight Cutting

[Legendary]

It seems like the game is more about how much weight you can lose and rehydrate effectively rather then the fights themselves. The larger fighter usually wins. I would be willing to guess that the larger fighter wins 75% of the time.

Out of the 13 fights at UFC 232, the heavier fighter won 9/13 fights.

Weight cutting gives us depleted fighters performing at a fraction of what they could. It also makes the fighters look smaller then they actually are. Another thing that is ridiculous is that many fighters get in terrible shape inbetween fights. The best fighters are smarter about it, but an alarming amount of MMA fighters get fat out of camp. It also allows fighters to lie about their size trying to throw off competition.

 

[Tuf_guy]

It had just the right balance of steroid use, though. Now it's all fucked up, and it tears me up inside.

 

[Klaavical]

The ways to cheat...er find an advantage are becoming scarce.

 

[filthynumber1]

Other ufc's could be the exact opposite. Sometimes weight cutting works against a fighter where they are so depleted they got nothing left for the fight
It is what it is. It ain't going anywhere its been around forever

 

[CatchnShoot]

Should fight at walk around weight, weight cutting is stupid.

 

[Captaingh]

The real wonder is why weight cut re-hydration with an IV was ban! You can tell the leaders of these commissions are far from being athletes! If you ban the IV, then also address the issues you have with weight cutting. Simply banning the IV, while not addressing weight cutting, simply took away a godsend tool for the fighters to make the weight more safely! Ah these amateurs!

 

[EVIL WAR GOD]

Weighins should be seperate from the actual fights. Six or eight weeks out you get randomly weighed by the athletic commission.

 

[deviake]

Weight cutting needs to be cut. It's dangerous and I'm sure not good to terrible on fighter's health over time. I think it's entirely possible to get rid of or at least GREATLY diminish it, but unfortunately there's not really a push for it from the fans nor fighters as far as I'm aware

 

[felmmando]

It seems like the game is more about how much weight you can lose and rehydrate effectively rather then the fights themselves. The larger fighter usually wins. I would be willing to guess that the larger fighter wins 75% of the time...

Weight cutting gives us depleted fighters performing at a fraction of what they could.

If they are performing at a fraction of what they could and still win 75% of the time, what incentive do they have to fight someone their own size?

 

[EnsaladaLEGACY]

More guys will have do do triathlons monthly, eat grass, and go on a low tst diet all year round like Nate Diaz in order to fight at their weight class

 

[Legendary]

If they are performing at a fraction of what they could and still win 75% of the time, what incentive do they have to fight someone their own size?

Less brain damage. Properly functioning organs during and after their fight career.

Renan Barao should have moved up to 145 before he started cutting too much. He dehydrated and depleted himself to make 135 and be the biggest guy in that division, and now that he can't make the weight anymore he is going to be a smaller 145, not to mention the psychology behind that.

 

[Riot Punch]

Everybody should weigh the same durr

 

[BlueNote]

If im not mistaken ONE FC goes to great extent to make sure fighters dont cut weight by monitoring them through training camps and weight ins...thats the way it should be if we are truly trying to clean up the sport. Athletes will be so much more healthier...than they already are

 

[acannxr]

It seems like the game is more about how much weight you can lose and rehydrate effectively rather then the fights themselves. The larger fighter usually wins. I would be willing to guess that the larger fighter wins 75% of the time.

Out of the 13 fights at UFC 232, the heavier fighter won 9/13 fights.

Weight cutting gives us depleted fighters performing at a fraction of what they could. It also makes the fighters look smaller then they actually are. Another thing that is ridiculous is that many fighters get in terrible shape inbetween fights. The best fighters are smarter about it, but an alarming amount of MMA fighters get fat out of camp. It also allows fighters to lie about their size trying to throw off competition.

See:

If you want to contribute, include your source for a fighters' cage weight and I'll update the thread accordingly.

Heavyweight
Brock Lesnar: 275 lbs

Light Heavyweight
Daniel Cormier: 236 lbs
Jon Jones: 222.5 lbs
Alexander Gustafsson: 219.5 lbs
Phil Davis: 217 lbs
Ovince Saint Preux: 220 lbs
Nikita Krylov: 218 lbs
Corey Anderson: 225 lbs
Ilir Latifi: 219 lbs

Middleweight
Anderson Silva: 202 lbs (or less)
Chris Weidman: 192-193 lbs
Luke Rockhold: 200-201 lbs
Uriah Hall: 200 lbs
Thiago Santos: 209.5 lbs
Kevin Holland: 193 lbs
Kelvin Gastelum: 187 lbs
Derek Brunson: 205 lbs
Antonio Carlos Jr: 194 lbs
Dan Henderson: 196.6 lbs
Michael Bisping: 200 lbs
Elias Theodorou: 206 lbs
Bevon Lewis: 194.5 lbs
*Eryk Anders: 223 lbs

*Source was his opponent.

Welterweight
Georges St-Pierre: 188 lbs
Tyron Woodley: 190 lbs
Stephen Thompson: 182 lbs
Colby Covington: 180 lbs
Rafael dos Anjos: 180 lbs
Darren Till: 200 lbs
Donald Cerrone: 174 lbs
Sage Northcutt: 181.5 lbs
Kamaru Usman: 185 lbs
Neil Magny: 182 lbs
Mike Perry: 177 lbs
Michael Chiesa: 188 lbs
Carlos Condit: 184.5 lbs
Curtis Millender: 183.5 lbs
Siyar Bahadurzada: 184.5 lbs

Lightweight
Khabib Nurmagomedov: 166 lbs
Conor McGregor: 171 lbs
Eddie Alvarez: 171 lbs
Kevin Lee: 175 lbs
Gleison Tibau: 181 lbs
Drew Dober: 183 lbs
Dustin Poirier: 170 lbs
Justin Gaethje: 165 lbs
Ryan Hall: 156 lbs
BJ Penn: 163.5 lbs

Featherweight
Jose Aldo: 164 lbs
Brian Ortega: 164 lbs
Chad Mendes: 160.5 lbs
Frankie Edgar: 155 lbs
Mirsad Bektić: 164 lbs
Renato Moicano: 165.5 lbs
Cub Swanson: 160.5 lbs
Sheymon Moraes: 164 lbs
Matt Sayles: 165 lbs
Alexander Volkanovski: 166.5 lbs

Bantamweight
Dominick Cruz: 150 lbs
TJ Dillashaw: 149.5 lbs
Cody Garbrandt: 142 lbs
Renan Barão: 157 lbs
Pedro Munhoz: 151 lbs
Brett Johns: 158 lbs
Ricky Simon: 152 lbs
Montel Jackson: 152 lbs
Ricardo Ramos: 153.5 lbs
Kyung Ho Kang: 154 lbs
Marlon Vera: 150 lbs
Wuliji Buren: 149.5 lbs
Petr Yan: 149.5 lbs
Douglas Silva de Andrade: 154.5 lbs
Nathaniel Wood: 147 lbs
Andre Ewell: 145 lbs
Brian Kelleher: 148 lbs

Flyweight
Demetrious Johnson: 142 lbs
Henry Cejudo: 141 lbs
Alex Perez: 146.5 lbs
Jose Torres: 143 lbs
(Formerly) John Dodson: 152.4 lbs

Women's Featherweight
Cris Cyborg: 160.5 lbs
Amanda Nunes: 156 lbs
Megan Anderson: 157 lbs
Cat Zingano: 156 lbs

Women's Bantamweight
Ronda Rousey: 140 lbs
Cat Zingano: 151 lbs
Miesha Tate: 147 lbs
Amanda Nunes: 150 lbs
Holly Holm: 147 lbs

Women's Flyweight
Valentina Shevchenko: 135 lbs

Women's Strawweight
Rose Namajunas: 119 lbs
Joanna Jędrzejczyk: 122.4 lbs
Cláudia Gadelha: 126 lbs
Polyana Viana: 129.5 lbs
JJ Aldrich: 130.5 lbs
Weili Zhang: 127 lbs
Danielle Taylor: 124.5 lbs
Mackenzie Dern: 139.5 lbs (missed weight)
Tatiana Suarez: 127 lbs
Jéssica Andrade: 132 lbs

Renan Barao should have moved up to 145 before he started cutting too much. He dehydrated and depleted himself to make 135 and be the biggest guy in that division

To be fair to Barao, Aldo was the reigning champion at 145, and they're both friends/teammates. It's the same reason I don't begrudge Cormier for dropping down to Light Heavyweight when Velasquez was fighting at Heavyweight.

 

[Mamou]

If they are performing at a fraction of what they could and still win 75% of the time, what incentive do they have to fight someone their own size?

They cut weight to fight someone else who is also cutting weight, only to both rehydrate to a similar weight.

Weight cutting is stupid and unnecessary.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Honestly to me weight cutting and dehydration/rehydration are the most pressing issues working against the sport's growth.

It never made sense to me to see 2 men that both weigh over 190 pounds drain themselves to 155 just to rehydrate close to 180 on fight day fight.

 

[felmmando]

They cut weight to fight someone else who is also cutting weight, only to both rehydrate to a similar weight.

Weight cutting is stupid and unnecessary.

That does sound ridiculous but TS said there was a size difference in most fights.

 

[kennysux]

Microdosing

 

[Sansnom]

The ways to cheat...er find an advantage are becoming scarce.

Not with USADA allowing pulsing.

 

[Legendary]

That does sound ridiculous but TS said there was a size difference in most fights.

In fights where there is a big difference, the bigger fighter usually wins. Even when the weight rehydration is similar it is still ridiculous because they could have just fought at their walking weights.