Weighing In on Weighing In - The Necessary Evils of Cutting Weight
Anyone who pays enough attention to fighters more than just during their fight, or even to the commentators as the rounds wind down will know that very few fighters fight at their true “walking around” weight. With big names like Thiago Alves, John Howard, and Gina Carano having major issues making their designated weight class, the question arrises… why such an extreme weight cut for so many fighters?
For my ever so favorite Spike TV followers, the last few fights have aired live weigh-ins the day before, so since you can’t seem to bring yourself to actually following a sport with passion, now you know. Thiago Alves is the most notorious offender of weight restrictions, going as far as conceeding 20% of his fight commission just to avoid cutting even a half pound! I don’t know anyone who would willingly hand over so much money just because they were lazy. With Dana White saying Alves should bump up to middleweight to avoid such a drastic weight cut, it is apparent that making 170 pounds is taking a serious toll on his body!
The UFC and many other major fight promotions do their weigh-ins 24 hours before the fight for business reasons. If a fighter doesn’t make weight at least it gives the organization a day's notice to figure out what to change to keep their fans, and buyers happy. Whether it be changing the fight stipulations, cutting the offender, or even just cancelling the fight all together!
With a 24 hours time span between making weight and the opening bell most fighters choose to cut weight to a much smaller class, dropping 10, 15, even 20 pounds of weight in the final days before the fight. The health risks alone don’t seem worth the cut. Everyone has seen a fighter just look weathered, face sunken in, stomach looking emaciated… basically a poster child for commercials about starving children in cages. This isn't healthy, and if you cannot regain the fluids and electrolytes necessary to perform can leave you a sitting duck in the octagon.
Taking a look at the opposite end of the spectrum, I immediately think of Randy Couture. He is a natural heavyweight… walking around 218-220 and fights at such weight to take on guys like Brock Lesnar, and his latest victim, James “Taps Out” Toney. It just doesn’t seem fair to me that men who can't even qualify for ANY weight class on any given day get to cut 20-25 lbs and fight a man who has to work to maintain his minimum weight… giving up a usual 40lbs weight advantage.
Most smaller organizations do weigh-ins just an hour or two before the fight. This allows for a more even playing field and gives no advantage to the man who drops 20lbs just to gain most of that back before the fight. As mentioned above, only problem is the risk of having to cancel what could be a main event fight, or even alter a championship bout. Thus, disappointing the fans, and basically screwing the opponent who MADE weight by forcing him to miss out on his maximum opportunity.
> Look to Pro Fighting Fans for the official UFC 119 results after the fights are complete and check out the expanded selection of UFC hats, apparel & merchandise available online!
Like HGH to Roger Clemens, fighters like Thiago Alves will use anything they can to gain the advantage, as long as its allowed. And while I definitely don’t consider cutting weight cheating by any means, I find it as a necessary evil. In a world full of people who look for an advantage to hardship, it is pretty much a worthless endeavor to be the lone ranger, showing the world one fight at a time that you can fight, win, and still eat meatballs! It will never happen that way, so drop your Mt. Dew and chili dog, and pick up that sauna suit, cuz for a long, long time into the future that final week of making weight will always, JUST… PLAIN… SUCK!
By Harold Hughes
ProFighting-fans.com MMA Staff Writer