FieldingMellish
26th April 2005, 10:13 AM
Saw this on www.wrestlingobserver.com
Mike Coughlin is generally pretty knowledgable about MMA but really doesn't seem to understand the weight issue. A couple of years ago he write an otherwise excellent article about Sakuraba where he assumed that because BJ Penn could cut weight from 180ish down to 155 then Saku could have done the same. Ignoring of course the differences in their ages, natural sizes etc.
In this he talks about weight-cutting generally. And makes a very dangerous suggestion that he seems to think will 'solve' the problem. He doesn't realise boxing weigh-ins (and the NSAC and Zuffa follow that pattern for UFC) were moved to 24 hours before the event to prevent fighters dying. There were a number of cases in Britain and the US a few years back with fighters sustaining serious head injuries or worse due to being weight drained. Anyway, here it is. Any thoughts?
“The Half Guarded Truth”
By: Mike Coughlin
Michaelcoughlin8@yahoo.com
“Cut It Out”
Size matters. Originally, the Ultimate Fighting Championship had no
weight limit. This allowed small, but very talented, men like Royce
Gracie to wow audiences by beating larger, though untalented,
challengers. When the smaller man had a notable skill advantage the
size difference could be nullified. As fighters of all weights began
to get more skilled the need for weight classes arose and were thus
created. Fighters, like amateur wrestlers, quickly learned that they
could cut weight and fight smaller men. While the practice of weight
cutting is common in MMA, it is a custom that needs to be done away
with.
The UFC has five active weight classes: 155 lbs and below
(lightweight), 155-170 lbs (welterweight), 170-185 lbs (middleweight),
185-205 (light heavyweight), 205-265 lbs (heavyweight). In general,
fighters are weighed in the day before the fight. They have to be
within one pound of the weight limit (meaning a 205 lb fighter could
weigh 206 lbs and make weight), the theory being that a scale could be
off a lb or so. They then have all day to put on extra pounds. Hijinx
follow.
Many fighters are dropping anywhere from 10-25 lbs in order to make
weight. Matt Hughes, champion at 170 lbs, walks around at 190 lbs. He
cuts 20 lbs in order to make weight! If he fights someone who
naturally walks around at 170 lbs, he has a twenty pound weight
advantage. For a guy who relies upon strength and power, twenty pounds
can be a world of difference. It isn’t that Hughes is cheating, he’s
taking advantage of the system. But he is gaining an unfair advantage
over those who do not cut weight. It’s the same argument against
steroids: if one guy does it, everyone has to do it just to keep up.
More than just giving a fighter an advantage, cutting weight brings
with it potential health risks. In one of the saddest and most
infamous incidents in amateur wrestling history, over a one month span
in 1997, three young men lost their lives during the course of trying
to cut weight. The men had been trying to cut several pounds in an
effort to make weight. All three were wearing rubber suits (which
fasciliate the process) at the time.
While the deaths were shocking, the methods were not. In the days
leading up to a fight, or in the case of wrestling, a match, many
wrestlers will begin to severely diet. They’ll decrease their caloric
intake to a dangerous level, often getting by on two extremely small
meals and a few glasses of water. The hours leading up to weigh in are
where the true danger sets in. Many will wear the aforementioned
rubber suits, sit in 200+ degree saunas, and try to sweat out as much
water weight as possible. The twenty pounds can literally evaporate.
The health problems that arise are scary. According to Dr. Bryan W.
Smith (M.D., P.H.D., FAAP, Medical Consultant to the Atlantic Coast
Conference), the ailments can include, “Impaired thermoregulation,
decreased work capacity, decreased renal blood flow, increased heart
rate, reduced endurance capacity, altered hormonal status, and stunted
growth and development. Weight cutting has been associated with cardiac
arrhythmias, pulmonary emboli, pancreatitis and decreased immune
function. Altered psychological states and impaired academic
performance have been reported.” In short, a lot of really bad things
can happen to a person.
It wasn’t a problem that came out of nowhere though. The American
Medial Association had been expressing concern regarding weight cutting
since 1967. In 1976, the American College of Sports Medicine had
similar doubts. Many former and current fighters have expressed that
the process is draining and they felt it was a danger. Additionally,
common sense says that draining a body of as much water as possible
isn’t healthy.
To get rid of this practice, the UFC, in conjuction with the Nevada
State Athletic Commissoin, should put in a place the following:
1) Have the weigh-ins as close to the actual fight as possible. If the
fights are scheduled to begin at 7 PM, then weigh-ins should take place
no later than 5 hours prior. Having the weigh-ins on the same day
would force fighters to fight closer to their more natural weight, as
it would remove a great deal of the time used to re-hydrate.
Furthermore, it allows enough time for any fighter who is one or two
pounds over to possibly drop the needed weight (such a small amount
isn’t really dangerous, nor would it likely influence the outcome of a
match). It also gives fighters ample time to prepare themselves for
their upcoming fight. The last few hours before someone steps into the
Octagon should be spent warming up, mentally and physically, not
standing on scales.
2) Create a new 225 lb weight class. Fighters such as Randy Couture,
Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz all reportedly walk around at about 220
lbs or so. Since that seems to be the maximum weight someone can come
down from, create a new class specifically for these guys. If fighters
at this weight don’t have their own weight class they’ll be run over by
large heavyweights.
3) If the UFC refuses to implement the above, they should at least
provide fight fans with an unofficial weigh-in, similar to what is done
on boxing telecasts. Fans would then be able to appreciate size
differences that may exist. BJ Penn’s victory of Matt Hughes is even
more impressive when one realizes that he gave up at least 10, if not
15, lbs to the Illinois native.
By forcing weigh-ins to take place the day of the fight, the playing
field is leveled. If a fighter wishes to cut weight, they may, and
face the repercussions of having abused their body so severely mere
hours before a fight. Most fighters will choose to fight at their more
natural weight though.
There could be concern that fighters might not make weight, which would
put in jeopardy potential main events. While this is a legitimate
fear, the men who fight should be professional enough that this does
not happen.
Fight fans will benefit from the elimination of weight cutting as well.
Fighters will come into the Octagon at their peak physical condition,
as opposed to now when they have destroyed their body all week long.
Perfectly rested fighters will result in the best possible fights. It
will also cut out any potential excuses that could arise, from fighter
fatigue to complaints about size difference.
For the health of both the sport and the fighters, weight cutting needs
to be, well, cut.
Mike Coughlin is generally pretty knowledgable about MMA but really doesn't seem to understand the weight issue. A couple of years ago he write an otherwise excellent article about Sakuraba where he assumed that because BJ Penn could cut weight from 180ish down to 155 then Saku could have done the same. Ignoring of course the differences in their ages, natural sizes etc.
In this he talks about weight-cutting generally. And makes a very dangerous suggestion that he seems to think will 'solve' the problem. He doesn't realise boxing weigh-ins (and the NSAC and Zuffa follow that pattern for UFC) were moved to 24 hours before the event to prevent fighters dying. There were a number of cases in Britain and the US a few years back with fighters sustaining serious head injuries or worse due to being weight drained. Anyway, here it is. Any thoughts?
“The Half Guarded Truth”
By: Mike Coughlin
Michaelcoughlin8@yahoo.com
“Cut It Out”
Size matters. Originally, the Ultimate Fighting Championship had no
weight limit. This allowed small, but very talented, men like Royce
Gracie to wow audiences by beating larger, though untalented,
challengers. When the smaller man had a notable skill advantage the
size difference could be nullified. As fighters of all weights began
to get more skilled the need for weight classes arose and were thus
created. Fighters, like amateur wrestlers, quickly learned that they
could cut weight and fight smaller men. While the practice of weight
cutting is common in MMA, it is a custom that needs to be done away
with.
The UFC has five active weight classes: 155 lbs and below
(lightweight), 155-170 lbs (welterweight), 170-185 lbs (middleweight),
185-205 (light heavyweight), 205-265 lbs (heavyweight). In general,
fighters are weighed in the day before the fight. They have to be
within one pound of the weight limit (meaning a 205 lb fighter could
weigh 206 lbs and make weight), the theory being that a scale could be
off a lb or so. They then have all day to put on extra pounds. Hijinx
follow.
Many fighters are dropping anywhere from 10-25 lbs in order to make
weight. Matt Hughes, champion at 170 lbs, walks around at 190 lbs. He
cuts 20 lbs in order to make weight! If he fights someone who
naturally walks around at 170 lbs, he has a twenty pound weight
advantage. For a guy who relies upon strength and power, twenty pounds
can be a world of difference. It isn’t that Hughes is cheating, he’s
taking advantage of the system. But he is gaining an unfair advantage
over those who do not cut weight. It’s the same argument against
steroids: if one guy does it, everyone has to do it just to keep up.
More than just giving a fighter an advantage, cutting weight brings
with it potential health risks. In one of the saddest and most
infamous incidents in amateur wrestling history, over a one month span
in 1997, three young men lost their lives during the course of trying
to cut weight. The men had been trying to cut several pounds in an
effort to make weight. All three were wearing rubber suits (which
fasciliate the process) at the time.
While the deaths were shocking, the methods were not. In the days
leading up to a fight, or in the case of wrestling, a match, many
wrestlers will begin to severely diet. They’ll decrease their caloric
intake to a dangerous level, often getting by on two extremely small
meals and a few glasses of water. The hours leading up to weigh in are
where the true danger sets in. Many will wear the aforementioned
rubber suits, sit in 200+ degree saunas, and try to sweat out as much
water weight as possible. The twenty pounds can literally evaporate.
The health problems that arise are scary. According to Dr. Bryan W.
Smith (M.D., P.H.D., FAAP, Medical Consultant to the Atlantic Coast
Conference), the ailments can include, “Impaired thermoregulation,
decreased work capacity, decreased renal blood flow, increased heart
rate, reduced endurance capacity, altered hormonal status, and stunted
growth and development. Weight cutting has been associated with cardiac
arrhythmias, pulmonary emboli, pancreatitis and decreased immune
function. Altered psychological states and impaired academic
performance have been reported.” In short, a lot of really bad things
can happen to a person.
It wasn’t a problem that came out of nowhere though. The American
Medial Association had been expressing concern regarding weight cutting
since 1967. In 1976, the American College of Sports Medicine had
similar doubts. Many former and current fighters have expressed that
the process is draining and they felt it was a danger. Additionally,
common sense says that draining a body of as much water as possible
isn’t healthy.
To get rid of this practice, the UFC, in conjuction with the Nevada
State Athletic Commissoin, should put in a place the following:
1) Have the weigh-ins as close to the actual fight as possible. If the
fights are scheduled to begin at 7 PM, then weigh-ins should take place
no later than 5 hours prior. Having the weigh-ins on the same day
would force fighters to fight closer to their more natural weight, as
it would remove a great deal of the time used to re-hydrate.
Furthermore, it allows enough time for any fighter who is one or two
pounds over to possibly drop the needed weight (such a small amount
isn’t really dangerous, nor would it likely influence the outcome of a
match). It also gives fighters ample time to prepare themselves for
their upcoming fight. The last few hours before someone steps into the
Octagon should be spent warming up, mentally and physically, not
standing on scales.
2) Create a new 225 lb weight class. Fighters such as Randy Couture,
Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz all reportedly walk around at about 220
lbs or so. Since that seems to be the maximum weight someone can come
down from, create a new class specifically for these guys. If fighters
at this weight don’t have their own weight class they’ll be run over by
large heavyweights.
3) If the UFC refuses to implement the above, they should at least
provide fight fans with an unofficial weigh-in, similar to what is done
on boxing telecasts. Fans would then be able to appreciate size
differences that may exist. BJ Penn’s victory of Matt Hughes is even
more impressive when one realizes that he gave up at least 10, if not
15, lbs to the Illinois native.
By forcing weigh-ins to take place the day of the fight, the playing
field is leveled. If a fighter wishes to cut weight, they may, and
face the repercussions of having abused their body so severely mere
hours before a fight. Most fighters will choose to fight at their more
natural weight though.
There could be concern that fighters might not make weight, which would
put in jeopardy potential main events. While this is a legitimate
fear, the men who fight should be professional enough that this does
not happen.
Fight fans will benefit from the elimination of weight cutting as well.
Fighters will come into the Octagon at their peak physical condition,
as opposed to now when they have destroyed their body all week long.
Perfectly rested fighters will result in the best possible fights. It
will also cut out any potential excuses that could arise, from fighter
fatigue to complaints about size difference.
For the health of both the sport and the fighters, weight cutting needs
to be, well, cut.