Why is the UFC so heavy on small athletes nowadays ?

Because Conor & Khabib proved that you could market small dudes for big bucks too
 
Trabaho said:
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.
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The UFC is cheap which is a good thing for stake holders but too cheap to attract any real AAA North American prospects that weigh more than a grandmother.

Too many other sports where they receive a free college education then sign a rookie contract 10- 20 times the salary, within a calendar year of what MMA can offer to an initiate of combat sports.

Hear arguments on this site Fighters were better in certain era's. Your always going to have your outliers. That is a foolish argument kids have started training before they are out of diapers today. Believe everyone has levelled up.

To be a champ you need to understand how to beat or at least survive against Khabib or GSP on the ground. You better not get run over by the train that was AS. You better never forget what Cain taught all HW's once you start to fade your fucked, cardio is king.

Big concern though UFC might not be investing in the real product which is fighters.

Just an opinion.
 
Trabaho said:
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 everyone 200 and above fat.
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Guy your talking to sounds like an idiot. Everyone is built different. 15 years ago was boxing when young fully grown though. At 5'11 I looked like a heroin addict couldn't make 215.
 
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Trabaho said:
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.
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The problem is that it's become too main stream. Up until about 2013 majority of the fighters coming in were in it cuz they were just happy they could make some money fighting and fighting is what they liked.

Now the majority is guys wanting to build brands off of fighting.

Also with the UFC being sold changed their priorities. The Fertitas actually liked MMA as fans.

And the biggest factor is the US being the base and biggest market for MMA. American culture and Fandom revolves purely around winning at all costs to the detriment of the whole point which is entertainment. All these factors create an incoherence because they are in direct conflict with each other.

Its like when a business tries to promote competition amongst saleman as a way to boost sales a.d then they wonder why there is no comradery or team work.

If only winning matters then fights get super boring, especially when losing means getting cut losing out on win bonuses, etc.. they try to promote excitement with finish bonuses but going for a finish means risk and losing can mean losing future opportunities so it's better to play safe.

In the end the only guys who take those risks tend to have less skill, are more desperate and don't manage their careers well.

In lighter weight classes the risk of KO is less so the overall risk is lower meaning that going for a finish is less risky. Also smaller guys tend to have a chip in their shoulder and more to prove. They also have more gas tanks since they're lighter.

In short WW and higher the risk of losing is much higher, it's more difficult overall to be elite and the reward just isn't there. The guys atvthose classes that love fighting for fighting sake fizzle out quick due to US fan culture of fickleness. To stay in they basically have to be boring.

The best balance is being ok at striking and having sub defense. Sub offense especially from the bottom always means losing if you don't get the sub even if you have more offe se from bottom than the top opponent. To top it off the UFC brass is no longer interested in a good product. It's only about short term gains so it perpetuates the vicious cycle
 
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Araquém said:
Baseball and football are not sports in which being big is a advantage and american football only exists in the US
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Height matters a lot in baseball.
The taller/longer a pitcher is the shorter distance the pitch needs to travel to the catcher. The taller/longer pitcher's release point is closer to home plate. This directly affects the time a batter has to react to the ball. Also spending less time in the air means less wind drag this the pitches losses less velocity. Baseball takes place in milliseconds. All those little advantages add up.

I'm not even going to get into taller batters.
 
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Here is why I didn't get it. I am from west Herzegowina. I'm 182 cm which is almost 6 foot. 6 foot is 182.8 cm. I am slightly under average in my country. I had no clue the rest of the world is that small in comparison. I know asians are smalller on average. I know europeans are taller than americans. I didn't think of Latinos as being shorter on average.
So the average male in my country is in the top 5% of height ? Well now you get why I thought the UFC is spamming small guys to fight. It just came off to me that way.

I'm like a normal guy a tall guy is like 6'4 in Herzegovina. Ok in Germany we also got small guys like Afghans Erethreans who make me feel tall. Germans themselves are also 6 on average. Basically in Europe that top 5% 6 foot is normal and not outstanding tall.

Screenshot_20250403_171829_Google.jpg
 
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6'8 6'9 look like mutants. There are two baskeltball playing brothers in my city. They sure are over 2 meters so 6'8-6'10. They look like mutants. Especially the younger brother. Both did some pro baskteball. My 4 neighbours boys are all taller than me, like 6'2 -6'6. I never felt tall. Afghanistan people do make me feel tall 😁.
 
Joshua8531 said:
Guy your talking to sounds like an idiot. Everyone is built different. 15 years ago was boxing when young fully grown though. At 5'11 I looked like a heroin addict couldn't make 215.
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Yeah I'm actually build wide / heavy. I don't got belly fat at 225. Well it all depends on muscle mass / fat. Some people look fat at 200 6 foot. It depends on genetics and shape. Some people are naturally wide. Some got naturaly thin legs some got huge legs. Some got a wide back some are slander. It just matters what looks good on you individually.

Edit : don't got belly fat at 225 if I train all the time

184 pounds was good on me too early 20ies. But than I just continued to gain weight. In theory I could be 184. I would have to reduce calories so so much. Like my brain can't handle it. I can't imagine ever weighing 184 again. Just getting to a healthy 225 feels like a dream. I was 205 6 years ago the last time. Was dope. Lean, healthy. I just eat too much. 260 is not for a 6 foot guy period. All these 6 foot UFC HWs weighing 250+ are fat. HW is for tall guys 6'2+. Rest are fatties.
 
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I lost 5-6 pounds in 2 days from getting sick and not taking creatine. Gona drop vitamin sups, likely not healthy. Just some vitamin D. Also I don't believe in Creatine anymore. Gonna just not eat. Like eat little. Body doesn't need a lot. Screw bodybuidling and the protein talk. Just eat little, eat healthy, and you're set. I think I'm gonna randomly lose my weight. I mean I stopped smoking so I can stop eating. Just always felt need to stuff myself to have energy to workout. Nah now we gon work out using my fat reserves as fuel. I'm tired of being "fat". Fat people cardio is shit. I totally linked eating a lot to having energy. Nah nah. Normaly I was 105 kg working out. Now I'm 117. Today 115. 105 is good. 95 kg is great. 6 foot is short to weigh anything above 100kg. Not gonna lose strength, just gonna gain things by losing fat. If I can't bench 120 kg it's meant to be that way. I can lose weight and still increase bench if it takes a year so it be. Being fat is not the answer. It's not it. It's not athletic.

Spontanious food rant end 😄 /
 
Trabaho said:
I lost 5-6 pounds in 2 days from getting sick and not taking creatine. Gona drop vitamin sups, likely not healthy. Just some vitamin D. Also I don't believe in Creatine anymore. Gonna just not eat. Like eat little. Body doesn't need a lot. Screw bodybuidling and the protein talk. Just eat little, eat healthy, and you're set. I think I'm gonna randomly lose my weight. I mean I stopped smoking so I can stop eating. Just always felt need to stuff myself to have energy to workout. Nah now we gon work out using my fat reserves as fuel. I'm tired of being "fat". Fat people cardio is shit. I totally linked eating a lot to having energy. Nah nah. Normaly I was 105 kg working out. Now I'm 117. Today 115. 105 is good. 95 kg is great. 6 foot is short to weigh anything above 100kg. Not gonna lose strength, just gonna gain things by losing fat. If I can't bench 120 kg it's meant to be that way. I can lose weight and still increase bench if it takes a year so it be. Being fat is not the answer. It's not it. It's not athletic.

Spontanious food rant end 😄 /
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All creatine basically does is help you retain water. So you look bigger and are heavier because your body is holding into water that naturally it would've dispelled already.

That's why as soon as you stop taking creatine your results immediately disappear.
 
They should cut 125, 135 and the women's divisions. Featherweight to Heavyweight. Most of the current Bantamweights worth a shit and a few elite Flyweights could compete in the Featherweight division
 
Talented big athletes go into NFL and NBA where majority of smaller guys can't compete. So they end up in combat sports where we have divisions to protect the smaller guys.
 
Trabaho said:
Here is why I didn't get it. I am from west Herzegowina. I'm 182 cm which is almost 6 foot. 6 foot is 182.8 cm. I am slightly under average in my country. I had no clue the rest of the world is that small in comparison. I know asians are smalller on average. I know europeans are taller than americans. I didn't think of Latinos as being shorter on average.
So the average male in my country is in the top 5% of height ? Well now you get why I thought the UFC is spamming small guys to fight. It just came off to me that way.

I'm like a normal guy a tall guy is like 6'4 in Herzegovina. Ok in Germany we also got small guys like Afghans Erethreans who make me feel tall. Germans themselves are also 6 on average. Basically in Europe that top 5% 6 foot is normal and not outstanding tall.

View attachment 1089521
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Ok you're tall. That's awesome. And you don't even consider yourself tall which is even more awesome. We get it.
 
Trabaho said:
No Volkan is better. He fought the who is who for 10 years. Clearly better. Erceg got 1 ranked win. Getting hit by 220 pound guys for 10 years is also harder.
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Only comment in this thread where you're talking some sense. Clearly Volkan is way more accomplished that Erceg and fought harder competition for a longer period. He's better pound for pound. No doubt.

Also Volkan was my MSN buddy back in the day around 2006 to 2008. He was uploading videos on Dailymotion back then when it was still a thing. I'm sure he forgot about me but whatever, I'll forever root for my Swiss Turkish online MMA buddy.
 
Trabaho said:
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.
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https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Average_human_height_by_country height

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_body_weight weight

Around the world, the average adult male walks around smaller than a middleweight on the scale. Including us fat ass Americans. The tallest country on average has been listed at 6 foot even for men and 5'7 for women.
 
Koya said:
Only comment in this thread where you're talking some sense. Clearly Volkan is way more accomplished that Erceg and fought harder competition for a longer period. He's better pound for pound. No doubt.

Also Volkan was my MSN buddy back in the day around 2006 to 2008. He was uploading videos on Dailymotion back then when it was still a thing. I'm sure he forgot about me but whatever, I'll forever root for my Swiss Turkish online MMA buddy.
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yeah he is a muslim he is your best friend forever habibi merhaba 100% <3 <3 love you achi

but he is tall so does that still count as a brother ?
 
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