Why do people act like there is a major difference between HWs and LHWs?

What really got me thinking is to think about how many successful striking sport HWs such as Spong, Saki, prime Hari, Wilder, Haye, Holyfield, etc (and that cute Blackzillians girl XD) are in the 220 range and are accepted as being perfectly fine HWs.

MMA is different because of grappling but even so you have guys like Fedor, CC, JDS, Werdum who are 235 and under. It makes the perceived great difference from the 235 lb guys at LHW seem like an illusion.

Also consider tyson who was short af at hw.

Also, tim sylvia maybe the biggest hw of all time was out wrestled by couture who was a natural lhw.
 
If Fedor fought in the UFC HW division today he would be the smallest fighter in the top 15..... by a fairly wide margin. He actually gives up about 3 inches reach or more to all the top LHWs as well.
 
What about Glover? Is he a welterweight because he got knocked out in 13 seconds, despite usually being able to take a lot of punishment?

Basing your assumptions about the difference between HWs and LHWs on one fight, or even a few fights, is silly.
You make good points, but I think aj hand speed and power is something special, Liddell esque. Aj is someone I think could sleep a lot of hws.
 
If Fedor fought in the UFC HW division today he would be the smallest fighter in the top 15..... by a fairly wide margin. He actually gives up about 3 inches reach or more to all the top LHWs as well.
Even DC? Surprising.
 
In general, the difference is about 20-25 natural lbs. If you're asking about what's the difference between the small HWs and the big LHWs. FEAR.









Before everyone jumps on me. It was a joke.
 
There are often extreme stances taken on both sides of the common HW vs LHW debate, some people say the HWs would destroy the LHWs due to size and power while others say the faster, more skilled LHWs would destroy the HWs. Both these statements are exaggerated though because of a fact that I don't understand why people ignore - LHWs are just small HWs who cut weight!

Before some smartass makes a sarcastic remark like "hurr durr, LWs are just small WWs who cut weight", the difference is that traditionally small HWs have usually been the most successful HWs, so being a small HW would not be a disadvantage in the same way being a small WW for example would. There is no significant size gap between say Cain who is 6'1 240 and guys like Rumble and Glover who are not shorter and walk around in the 235 range while carrying less fat, similarly guys like Werdum and JDS are taller but weigh around 235 for HW fights, so why would one believe there is a massive physical difference between the two groups of guys?

I'm not arguing either that the LHWs would usually beat the HWs or vice versa, but that the only real difference between a "HW" and a typical modern "LHW" is whether or not they choose to cut weight, so whether a LHW would do well at HW should be judged based on the specific fighter and not because there is some magical difference between "LHWs" and "HWs" simply because the former cut weight. Many modern LHWs are actually bigger than some historical HWs such as prime Fedor and Crocop, and striking sport HWs like Spong.

If anyone disagrees, what am I missing that physically separates big LHWs like Rumble, Glover and OSP from HWs like Cain, Fedor and CC?

LHW to HW is certainly not an unbreakable barrier just as moving up one weightclass at any size isn't. That said I do think of think its a divide that tends to favour certain styles of fighters moreso than moving between other divisions.

You look at the smaller guys who have done well at HW and for me theres a common thread to a lot of them, they tend to have extreme finishing ability and often also very good defence standing. Granted the very best like Fedor and Nog also had great heart and cardio but I think you can get away a bit more without those things at HW than you can at LHW.

So I would argue someone like Rumble whilst perhaps not a better LHW than Jon Jones(not proven yet though) could well end up being a better HW.
 
Even DC? Surprising.

Sorry, was wrong. Almost all the top LHWs. He actually has 2 inch advantage on Cormier.

Rumble has 5 inches on Fedor, Gus has 3, Glover has 3, Jones has like 3 feet lol

But yeah, turns out Cormier has some short as fuck arms too
 
Sorry, was wrong. Almost all the top HWs. He actually has 2 inch advantage on Cormier.

Rumble has 5 inches on Fedor, Gus has 3, Glover has 3, Jones has like 3 feet lol

But yeah, turns out Cormier has some short as fuck arms too
It's cause he's 5'10 lol
 
It's cause he's 5'10 lol

Yeah he's the only one who is both shorter and less reach than Fedor. Bader also has a 74 inch reach, and Ilir Latifi has 73.

Almost the entire top 15 is between the 77-80 inch reach range though.
 
There is a major difference:

LHWs are to pussy to fight at their natural weight.
HWs are not.
 
Urrrr, yes there is.
A guy like Jones Jones who walks around at 225-230lbs cuts to 205lbs and come fight night is back to around 215-220lbs is significantly smaller than a man like Mark Hunt who cuts from close to 300lbs to 265lbs and come fight night is around 290lbs. Yes, there is a significant difference between HWs and LHWs.
 
Urrrr, yes there is.
A guy like Jones Jones who walks around at 225-230lbs cuts to 205lbs and come fight night is back to around 215-220lbs is significantly smaller than a man like Mark Hunt who cuts from close to 300lbs to 265lbs and come fight night is around 290lbs. Yes, there is a significant difference between HWs and LHWs.

Most people in the division are significantly smaller than Hunt weight-wise.

Jones isn't any smaller than the Cain, Werdum, Arlovski, JDS, Overeem tier of HWs.
 
Cos Bork lesnar.
 
There is a major difference:

LHWs are to pussy to fight at their natural weight.
HWs are not.

why don't HW's move to an org with a super HW division, or go to boxing where there is no weight cap
 
Most people in the division are significantly smaller than Hunt weight-wise.

Jones isn't any smaller than the Cain, Werdum, Arlovski, JDS, Overeem tier of HWs.
Weight wise, yes. All those HWs might weigh in at 235 but put on size as fight night comes. A guy like Overeem may weight in at 240lbs, but could probably add 15lbs on fight night. These guys are training and shredding fat and weight up to the weigh-ins. It's not like they come into camp at 240lbs and remain that weight up until the fight. I'm pretty sure JDS walks around higher than 239lbs.
 
Most people in the division are significantly smaller than Hunt weight-wise.

Jones isn't any smaller than the Cain, Werdum, Arlovski, JDS, Overeem tier of HWs.
He seems smaller than Overeem but not much smaller than the other guys.
 
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