Why is the UFC so heavy on small athletes nowadays ?

[J'Ghasta]

Sherdogers think they are suffisticated MMA fans if they say HW sucks and 125 is the best division.

Id rather watch the worst HW fight than the GOAT flyweight fight.

 

[Trabaho]

125 shouldn't exist. But 135 has had plenty of exciting fighters with one punch knockout power. Cody Garbarant, O'Malley, Dillashaw, Aldo etc.. That division has been pretty stacked.

Actually right I confused 145 and 135 . I do like 135 too. They bang.

It's just too much quantity wise. Or I didn't watch enough UFC cards and the ones I watched happened to be heavy in 125 135 WMMA.

WMMA 135 used to be one of the best divisions. That part of MMA fell of more than any division. Had Ronda, Miesha, Nunes, Valentina, Holm, Cyborg, GDR all in their prime. Now Penington is the champ based on " It's not who is good but who is left".

 

[Trabaho]

I knew I wasn't gonna collect a sympathy trophy with this thread and people would call HWs fat slow.

Whatever

You calling everyone fat don't complain if someone says you are small than

 

[TITS]

I like everyone. Midget aka being up to 4'9 doesn't make you less of a good person. I want 2/3 of UFC contests to be from LW and up. 1/3 of all contests being 125 135 145 and WMMA is enough. According to my preferences. It's just my preference. You can go watch 7 hours of 105 atomweight fights each saturday if you fancy that.

No.

 

[whocares]

This is kind of like asking why the average NBA player is 6'6.5" or why MLB hitters have superhuman eyesight. There is an ideal size, shape and physical attributes for every sport and given time thats where the talent pool fills up the most. If you're seeing more fighters of a certain size thats a good indicator of where the most talent and depth exists.

It's being made abundantly clear in recent years that weighing much over 190-200 lbs (walkaround weight) is not ideal to be an mma fighter. Can't book what isn't there. If you can see the drop off in talent just in the top 20 of weight classes in the highest level company in the sport, imagine what the rest of those weight classes look like. But if you go down to 145, 135 theres hundreds of guys with comparable skill to the top of LHW and HW.

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

It´s like every second fight is bellow 155. Add WMMA.

I liked when it was 155 and above.

145 is a legit good division.

But 135 125 then WMMA.

You end up having 50% of all fights being contested by small people. It´s annyoing.

WMMA itself is fine with me, I enjoy it. Though there are no new stars at all. It used to be stacked.

I would like to abandon 125 135 or just cut 70% of those rosters so if you really want to have light guys have only the best.

Like sign more MW LHs HWs.

My inapropriate theory is that Sean Selby likes to feel big and see guys at the weigh ins that don´t shrink him.

You really think people will go nuts for some 125ers like they would for Brock Lesnar ? C´mon guys.

Of course this is how I feel Individually.

UFC really is spamming light athletes on cards.

I just like the damage of MW, the speed of WW, the brutality of LHW, the massive knock outs and power of HW. LW always has delivered too and is full of stars. They are called light weight but are normal slim size people who can mop the floor with regular folk and look the part. Basically 180 pound walk around.

I do not care so much to see cards full of tiny people who look disproportionate. 145 should be small enough. If you can´t bulk up to 145, aren´t you only 3% of the population. Guess being from Europe I am used to bigger athletes and people. I don´t wanna see 50% of the sport be below LW. 30% of cards for WMMA and 145 135 125 is fine with me. But not whole cards where 90% of fighters are under LW like that Sphere event.

That´s why mma was better, it was bigger. Tiny guys don´t impress or intimidate me. I will watch Sean, Aljo, Petr Yan and Cory. I do not want to see a card full of random 5´4 125 guys who are smaller than school kids in my home town. I honestly am not excited by it.

We used to have cards full of Anderson Silva, GSP, Belfort, Rumble, Cain, Ronda, Marquart, Maia ect all big powerful people with huge damage. Now I gotta sit trough an hour of some feather stuff weight.

If someone is short but makes 145 it´s fine. 135 125 are so niche to me. If you wanna keep it, just reduce it heavily and sign more higher and mid range weight class athlete.

I can´t be the only person feeling this.

Because on the other end of the spectrum the have a roster of fat, virtually talentless HWs being held up by "Champ" that refuses to fight the Interim Champ, who has already defended his belt against the Number One Contender.

 

[sdpdude9]

The real answer is there is a bigger talent pool. I’d say reason for that is there are limited opportunities for smaller athletes, combat sports is where they can thrive due to limitations of sizes for competitors within weight classes.

But I find it funny people still care so much about size. Do you watch to see good scraps or do you want to look at big men? Perhaps insecure in the idea that a little man would beat your ass?

 

[sonhow]

No 155er is 190lbs after rehydrating

Turner is about 180 but I exaggerated on purpose.

 

[Paladin]

It´s like every second fight is bellow 155. Add WMMA.

I liked when it was 155 and above.

145 is a legit good division.

But 135 125 then WMMA.

You end up having 50% of all fights being contested by small people. It´s annyoing.

WMMA itself is fine with me, I enjoy it. Though there are no new stars at all. It used to be stacked.

I would like to abandon 125 135 or just cut 70% of those rosters so if you really want to have light guys have only the best.

Like sign more MW LHs HWs.

My inapropriate theory is that Sean Selby likes to feel big and see guys at the weigh ins that don´t shrink him.

You really think people will go nuts for some 125ers like they would for Brock Lesnar ? C´mon guys.

Of course this is how I feel Individually.

UFC really is spamming light athletes on cards.

I just like the damage of MW, the speed of WW, the brutality of LHW, the massive knock outs and power of HW. LW always has delivered too and is full of stars. They are called light weight but are normal slim size people who can mop the floor with regular folk and look the part. Basically 180 pound walk around.

I do not care so much to see cards full of tiny people who look disproportionate. 145 should be small enough. If you can´t bulk up to 145, aren´t you only 3% of the population. Guess being from Europe I am used to bigger athletes and people. I don´t wanna see 50% of the sport be below LW. 30% of cards for WMMA and 145 135 125 is fine with me. But not whole cards where 90% of fighters are under LW like that Sphere event.

That´s why mma was better, it was bigger. Tiny guys don´t impress or intimidate me. I will watch Sean, Aljo, Petr Yan and Cory. I do not want to see a card full of random 5´4 125 guys who are smaller than school kids in my home town. I honestly am not excited by it.

We used to have cards full of Anderson Silva, GSP, Belfort, Rumble, Cain, Ronda, Marquart, Maia ect all big powerful people with huge damage. Now I gotta sit trough an hour of some feather stuff weight.

If someone is short but makes 145 it´s fine. 135 125 are so niche to me. If you wanna keep it, just reduce it heavily and sign more higher and mid range weight class athlete.

I can´t be the only person feeling this.

lol .. let’s see. So you have the ones who drag out the negotiations, stall, cherry pick, hide under the cage when USAda Knocks.. I’m talking the HW guys like Jones and Stipe who only fight once a year or less.

You have the bigger guys like Khamzat who swear up and down that they will “Smash” but do more smashing on social media than in the octagon.

Others like Paulo Costa are out there promoting “secret juice”, instead of fighting,

Then you have the Jamal hills who are so fragile they are get hurt if someone farts..

The lighter guys are scrapping and not playing around.

 

[PrideNverDies]

You sound like a casual who is stuck in the past. HWs are no longer the only division people care about and want to watch. Welcome to 2025

 

[Skarsgard]

Give me a flyweight scrap over a heavyweight slog any day.

 

[613]

Because in shape, most of the world would fight at LW or bellow

 

[Trabaho]

OP must be eastern European. I cant see a western European thinking like this. Theyre all woke cucks who love to virtue signal their favorability of having tiny men the size of children and women being DEI'd into the sport of MMA.

Correct. Balkan slav so south east who li

This is kind of like asking why the average NBA player is 6'6.5" or why MLB hitters have superhuman eyesight. There is an ideal size, shape and physical attributes for every sport and given time thats where the talent pool fills up the most. If you're seeing more fighters of a certain size thats a good indicator of where the most talent and depth exists.

No. Cause smaller guys don't fight bigger. Becauae they are in ferior in fighting. Sports you mentioned don't have safety weight divisions.

It's being made abundantly clear in recent years that weighing much over 190-200 lbs (walkaround weight) is not ideal to be an mma fighter. Can't book what isn't there. If you can see the drop off in talent just in the top 20 of weight classes in the highest level company in the sport, imagine what the rest of those weight classes look like. But if you go down to 145, 135 theres hundreds of guys with comparable skill to the top of LHW and HW.

 

[613]

155 after weight cut is a pretty big person already. 170-190 pounds. Thats a very much majority of the population or even little bit heavier. The talent pools of heavier weights in mma just arent there because the pay is shit. Thats why these freaks who naturally weigh more than this much would rather do something else where the pay is better. Its an opportunity not a career.

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The average male is pretty fat and out of shape too. If everyone was fight shape, most people would be like 150lb

 

[tritestill]

Maybe I can who knows ? How much do I get to train. My grappling is extremely lacking. Do I get 4 months to go vs a 125er ?

And it's not due to their size alone. I have some skills also. I'm ready can you get me a UFC 125er to beat up ? If they beat me up, I respect it. Small guys will beat you up too. It's normal.

Why do you think no single person on the internet is ever good at sport ?

I don't think people who are not professionals are better than professionals. Pretty simple concept.

 

[SuperNerd]

Probably the same reason MMA attracts grapplers..

What else they gon do? Ride horses?

 

[613]

Really ? Show proof. Thing is I'm from Europe, the UFC is in the USA. I think the average european and american weighs like 200 pounds honestly. No joke. If you ad in Asia the average goes down a lot.

The average American is like 5'9", 175lbs and 30% body fat

 

[613]

Europe and india are the most fertile grounds. We got a LOT of rivers. We grow a lot of food. So we are naturally heavier. I personaly am half fat half strong. But just being 200 pounds is not fat. I was 105 kg with a flat stomach. I am part fat part fit now. But just calling all HWs fat is as bad as me calling you small or whatever. You said fat first. If it's true ok. But 200 pounds is not fat. It can be fat. But not on 5'11. 200 5'11 can be fat depending on body composition. It's ignorant to call everyond 200 and above fat.

Of you were in shape and not fat, you would be 175lbs and cut down to LW...

 

[Trabaho]

The real answer is there is a bigger talent pool. I’d say reason for that is there are limited opportunities for smaller athletes, combat sports is where they can thrive due to limitations of sizes for competitors within weight classes.

Exactly. No minimum weight entry. Not a open weight sport. If I could make 170 I would. I can't now. Maybe can get to 200 walk around. Realistically I used to weight 184 till I was 23. But when there is jo shortage of food it's super hard to starve yourself down 70 pounds.

But I find it funny people still care so much about size. Do you watch to see good scraps or do you want to look at big men? Perhaps insecure in the idea that a little man would beat your ass?

Wouldn't. Those who would respect. Man is a man.

 

[sonhow]

The average male is pretty fat and out of shape too. If everyone was fight shape, most people would be like 150lb

Yeah thats exactly the point. People can talk about naturally big athletes that are in shape but those are very, very rare and now youd need to convince them to start a fighting career for pennies. With a possibility to earn a bit if they get good. And people wonder where the good hws are lol