4 Point Plan - Weight Cutting Solutions

[Matthew Fedler]

1. New weight classes
285 - Heavyweight
225 - Cruiserweight
205 - Light Heavyweight
195 - Super Middleweight
185 - Middleweight
175 - Welterweight
165 - Super Lightweight
155 - Lightweight
145 - Featherweight
135 - Bantamweight
125 - Flyweight
115 - Strawweight
105 - Atomweight

2. Body Composition Testing
Calculate which weight classes individual fighters are eligible to compete in based on height, weight, body fat percentage, etc.

If any champions were no longer eligible to compete in their current weight class they would be stripped of their belt, but receive an immediate title shot in their new division.

3. Fight Day Weigh-ins

4. Fight Day Hydration Testing
Fines for minor infractions and potential fight cancellation for significant test failures.

Thoughts?

 

[FrontNakedChoke]

5 new weight classes?

THAT'S TEN NEW BELTS WITH THE INTERIM TITLES

 

[chitoortiz]

No to everything you said TS.

How bout instead of that chocolate bar or hamburger a fighter eats a salad instead?

 

[Gunny]

Weighins both one and two days before the fight. Have to make weight both days.

 

[Lavitz]

Instead of weight classes, have surprise challenges.

Imagine Conor Mcgregor relaxing in his home. He hears a knock at the door.

It’s Frankie Edgar and Tony Ferguson. Conor is taken by surprise as Lobov tries to back him up. Stipe joins the brawl.

 

[accolyte1022]

No to everything you said TS.

How bout instead of that chocolate bar or hamburger a fighter eats a salad instead?

An sald, dummy!

 

[Zefram Cochrane]

Too complicated, won't work.

This one's better:

2 POINT PLAN

1. Weigh-ins 2 hours before the fight.

2.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

The whole point of controlling weight cutting is to at least get rid of the 125 division if not the 135 division too.

Those guys weigh like 140 and cut to 125 because they can't fight the guys that weigh 165+ cutting to 145.

 

[Bend NvR Break]

Too complicated, won't work.

This one's better:

2 POINT PLAN

1. Weigh-ins 2 hours before the fight.

2.

I've actually always liked the idea of get on the scale then immediately get into the cage.

Someone will try and game the system and die but his sacrifice will tell people it's not a game.

 

[HaulParris]

Instead of weight classes, have surprise challenges.

Imagine Conor Mcgregor relaxing in his home. He hears a knock at the door.

It’s Frankie Edgar and Tony Ferguson. Conor is taken by surprise as Lobov tries to back him up. Stipe joins the brawl.

Choo choo mazefakas

 

[BBMN]

Your plan involves adjusting/creating 5 classes.

Mine involves just 3.

185 - MW
200 - LHW
215 - Cruiser
275 - HW

Everything at MW and lower is unchanged. This fixes the 20lb jump between MW and LHW.

Then the next part is a limit of 10% rehydration. That is, if you fight at 170, the most you can weigh in the cage is 170+17=187. That's the main part. No matter how many classes you have, people can, and will continue to have extreme cuts if they can manage it. This new weight limit is handled by a second weigh in just before getting the hands wrapped.

Each pound over you are, you get fined a percent of your purse. This total amount given to your opponent.

Bring back IVs.

 

[BBMN]

I've actually always liked the idea of get on the scale then immediately get into the cage.

I would argue that the athletic commission doesn't want people to die.

 

[AJ Garcia]

The system is fine. Fighters have plenty of time to rehydrate. I weigh in 24 hours before my fight while ufc fighters have a day and a half. I never understood why sherdoggers care so much about how much a fighter cuts. If they make weight, then there’s no problems. If someone repeatedly misses, then force him to move up.

Fighters have been cutting weight forever. Almost every fighter does it and you don’t hear them all complaining. We don’t need to change everything all of a sudden.

 

[Thug Rose]

you love the number 5 dontcha?

 

[Matthew Fedler]

5 new weight classes?

THAT'S TEN NEW BELTS WITH THE INTERIM TITLES

Haha I should have specified that Atomweight would probably only be a women’s division and maybe not in the UFC if the depth isn’t there.

It only adds 225, 195 and 165, while slightly modifying HW (265 to 285) and WW (170 to 175).

 

[lifelessheap]

I like the idea of 3 weight classes.

150
200
unlimited

 

[Matthew Fedler]

you love the number 5 dontcha?

Every current weight class except 170 already ends in 5, so it’s the easiest way to change them without too much disruption of the established divisions.

 

[Matthew Fedler]

The system is fine. Fighters have plenty of time to rehydrate. I weigh in 24 hours before my fight while ufc fighters have a day and a half. I never understood why sherdoggers care so much about how much a fighter cuts. If they make weight, then there’s no problems. If someone repeatedly misses, then force him to move up.

Fighters have been cutting weight forever. Almost every fighter does it and you don’t hear them all complaining. We don’t need to change everything all of a sudden.

It’s a health issue. Extreme dehydration can have significant negative health effects. Several fighters have even died.

It isn’t just sherdoggers, athletic commissions discuss the issue and potential solutions. The amateur wrestling community has taken steps to address it as well. For example:

“Wrestlers who violate NCAA weight certification protocols, use prohibited weight-loss practices or commit a severe weigh-in or medical examination violation will face stiffer penalties in the 2017-18 season.

The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a penalty change that requires a wrestler to miss eight consecutive competitions for a first offense in those areas and to sit out a year for a second offense.

Wrestlers found to be in violation also would be required to recertify their weight at some point during the suspension period. Examples of violations covered under this rule include urine manipulation during weight assessments; use of rubber suits, saunas, diuretics or intravenous rehydration; and skin check forgery or deception.

Additionally, the team’s coach and the director of athletics will receive private reprimands for the first offense. If a second offense occurs, additional institutional penalties will be determined by the rules committee.

The weight management rules were established to protect the health and safety of the participants in the sport. Wrestlers can lose up to 1.5 percent of their body weight per week. The rules are in place to ensure student-athletes maintain a slow descent toward their competition weight classification.“

A lot of fighters would much rather not have to cut weight, but feel the need to because otherwise they would be fighting much larger opponents.

Not to mention the optics of fights like Cerrone vs Till, Rumble vs Yoshida, Couture vs Lesnar, etc. Fans want fair fights and that’s why there are weight classes in the first place.

I believe these type of steps are inevitable (as well as more strict concussion-prevention protocols).

 

[Matthew Fedler]

Weight classes similar to the OP have ALREADY BEEN APPROVED (unanimously) by the ABC (Association of Boxing Commissions) and as such are part of the Unified Rules of MMA.

The OP's change of the HW limit up to 285, as opposed to adding a Super HW class of >265 is different than what's been adopted, and some of the weight class names are not correct, but otherwise it is the direction that the UFC will go in the future.

IMO I'd like to eliminate the overlap of weight classes between men's and women's divisions.

<105 - Women's
<115 - Women's
<125 - Women's
<135 - Women's
<145 - Men's
<155 - Men's
etc.
etc.

There aren't enough fit women that can't cut down to <135 to warrant higher classes. And the UFC doesn't need to have men's classes lighter than 145. I like DJ and am impressed by what he's done, but I'd much rather see the addition of the upper weight class changes and eliminate the lower men's weight classes, than keep things how they are.

Super HW wouldn’t have enough depth to warrant being in the UFC. 285 is in line with the HW limits in amateur wrestling and would make sure not to exclude the likes of Lewis, Hunt, Lesnar, Struve, etc. once the anti-weight cutting measures are put in place.

I couldn’t disagree more about your opinions on women’s and lighter weight classes, but it’s safe to say that just isn’t going to happen.

I’m curious what the weight divisions are named in the unified rules? CW seemed obvious from boxing and SLW/SMW seemed appropriate to describe the likes of Cerrone, Lee, Rockhold, Weidman, etc. It is tempting to call 195 Franklinweight.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

5 new weight classes?

THAT'S TEN NEW BELTS WITH THE INTERIM TITLES

#makeithappen @AriEmanuel @WME