Three fighters over at weigh-in for tomorrow's UFC Fight Night

**Beetlegeuse** · 06-12-2020, 02:32 PM

https://www.mmamania.com/2020/6/12/2...-weigh-ins-mma

The three were Jessica Eye, Karl Roberson and Zarrukh Adashev. Eye only missed by four ounces but she was wobbly on the scales and refused to take the 2-hour mulligan the rules allow for.

This kind of shit sickens me because even though it's not against the rules, weight-cutting is cheating because if the fans buy a ticket to watch a fight contested at 155-lbs, both fighters should be 155-fucking-pounds when the opening bell rings. Otherwise the fans are being cheated. How many fights have you seen where one fighter is clearly 10-lbs heavier (or more) than the other but they both weighed in exactly at the class weight limit?

If weigh-cutting is an effective practice, then obviously the fighter who weighed the most before the weight cut -- and therefore put his health at more risk -- gains an advantage.

But the science is not settled. There is science that shows that when you're dehydrated there's less fluid in he brain case, which makes the brain more susceptible to sloshing around from blows to the head and being damaged. And it takes up to 48 hours (!!!) for brain fluid levels to return to normal once rehydration begins. So when the UFC (stupidly) moved weigh-ins to the morning of the day before the fight (it used to be in the evening of the day before), they only put the fighters' health (and lives) more at risk because the extra time just affords them an opportunity to cut more weight.

There are many ways to prevent the excessive weight-cutting but the easiest, simplest and cheapest of which (IMHO) would be to conduct the existing weigh-in as per usual but also weigh the fighters a second time when they come to the ring for examination by officials immediately before a fight. Because nobody can stay unhealthily dehydrated for a day and a half -- right up until two minutes before the opening bell -- and not suffer substantially degraded performance.

Then you'd be forcing fighters to fight at a realistic and sensible weight.

On that same note I'd like to see someone do a scientific study of any correlation between the brain case being less than optimally hydrated versus the impact on a fighter's "chin," susceptibility to being knocked out. Which I know could be tested by MRI or CT scan, and possibly by ultrasound. It doesn't matter as much if you're one of those fighters who slips punches well because they don't get hit as hard or as often. But in the case of fighters who get clobbered a lot -- like the Diaz brothers and the Korean Zombie -- you might find that cutting weight so you enter the ring physically larger (and more powerful) makes you more susceptible to being knocked out.

I doubt anyone will ever spend the money but the UFC could undertake this to use to justify (or not) a new policy against weight-cutting.

**Honkey_Kong** · 06-13-2020, 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by Beetlegeuse

https://www.mmamania.com/2020/6/12/2...-weigh-ins-mma

The three were Jessica Eye, Karl Roberson and Zarrukh Adashev. Eye only missed by four ounces but she was wobbly on the scales and refused to take the 2-hour mulligan the rules allow for.

This kind of shit sickens me because even though it's not against the rules, weight-cutting is cheating because if the fans buy a ticket to watch a fight contested at 155-lbs, both fighters should be 155-fucking-pounds when the opening bell rings. Otherwise the fans are being cheated. How many fights have you seen where one fighter is clearly 10-lbs heavier (or more) than the other but they both weighed in exactly at the class weight limit?

If weigh-cutting is an effective practice, then obviously the fighter who weighed the most before the weight cut -- and therefore put his health at more risk -- gains an advantage.

But the science is not settled. There is science that shows that when you're dehydrated there's less fluid in he brain case, which makes the brain more susceptible to sloshing around from blows to the head and being damaged. And it takes up to 48 hours (!!!) for brain fluid levels to return to normal once rehydration begins. So when the UFC (stupidly) moved weigh-ins to the morning of the day before the fight (it used to be in the evening of the day before), they only put the fighters' health (and lives) more at risk because the extra time just affords them an opportunity to cut more weight.

There are many ways to prevent the excessive weight-cutting but the easiest, simplest and cheapest of which (IMHO) would be to conduct the existing weigh-in as per usual but also weigh the fighters a second time when they come to the ring for examination by officials immediately before a fight. Because nobody can stay unhealthily dehydrated for a day and a half -- right up until two minutes before the opening bell -- and not suffer substantially degraded performance.

Then you'd be forcing fighters to fight at a realistic and sensible weight.

On that same note I'd like to see someone do a scientific study of any correlation between the brain case being less than optimally hydrated versus the impact on a fighter's "chin," susceptibility to being knocked out. Which I know could be tested by MRI or CT scan, and possibly by ultrasound. It doesn't matter as much if you're one of those fighters who slips punches well because they don't get hit as hard or as often. But in the case of fighters who get clobbered a lot -- like the Diaz brothers and the Korean Zombie -- you might find that cutting weight so you enter the ring physically larger (and more powerful) makes you more susceptible to being knocked out.

I doubt anyone will ever spend the money but the UFC could undertake this to use to justify (or not) a new policy against weight-cutting.

Even when they rehydrate, if they do too much cutting, they're still going to fight sluggish. Personally, I think weight classes in UFC is stupid. Royce Gracie was beating guys bigger than him.

**Beetlegeuse** · 06-13-2020, 11:14 AM

Originally Posted by Honkey_Kong

Even when they rehydrate, if they do too much cutting, they're still going to fight sluggish. Personally, I think weight classes in UFC is stupid. Royce Gracie was beating guys bigger than him.

If I remember correctly, he beat one guy (an Asian) who was 300 lbs, and Royce was 175.

**redz** · 06-13-2020, 11:47 AM

You think they are only 10lbs heavier fight night? Try 20-40 lol. Brock Lesnar cut to 265 then fought over 300 the next night. Many fighters add back 20+lbs between weigh in and fight night. It is what it is, if it were a title fight they would be i ineligible to win the belt but for the most part penalty is not that severe.

**GearHeaded** · 06-13-2020, 11:56 AM

personally , I liked UFC back in the 90s when there were no weight classes and everyone fought until it was last man standing.. David vs Goliath , didn't matter. thats more relevant to how life really is

I'd imagine cutting weight makes the fighters at more risk for brain injuries.. probably safer for Royce Gracie at 160 pound body weight and not depleted beat a 200+ pound Ken Shamrock ,, then for a fighter today to have to cut down dehydrate and make a weight class.

**Beetlegeuse** · 06-13-2020, 12:56 PM

Originally Posted by redz

You think they are only 10lbs heavier fight night?...

That's not what I wrote. I wrote that both fighters might weigh in at, say, 155, but when they step into the ring "one fighter is clearly 10-lbs heavier (or more) than the other" [fighter].

**redz** · 06-13-2020, 01:11 PM

Got it^^^^ yeah some fights look like different weight class fighters in the cage.

**Honkey_Kong** · 06-14-2020, 05:08 AM

Originally Posted by Beetlegeuse

If I remember correctly, he beat one guy (an Asian) who was 300 lbs, and Royce was 175.

Originally Posted by GearHeaded

personally , I liked UFC back in the 90s when there were no weight classes and everyone fought until it was last man standing.. David vs Goliath , didn't matter. thats more relevant to how life really is

I'd imagine cutting weight makes the fighters at more risk for brain injuries.. probably safer for Royce Gracie at 160 pound body weight and not depleted beat a 200+ pound Ken Shamrock ,, then for a fighter today to have to cut down dehydrate and make a weight class.

Royce would also use his gui as part of his offense. But yeah, the reason they stopped this and started doing weight classes and adding rules (rabbit punches, downward elbows, head kicks to a downed opponent). There was a real time in the 1990s that they were trying to make MMA illegal so they pussified it.