A lot of variables need to line up for a fighter to have an exciting performance. They need to be in the right mental state. They need to have a good training camp. They need to be in good physical health. They need to have a good opponent. They need to have styles that mesh well together.
One of the most important things, though, is that they need to have a good weight cut.
The scales can completely destroy a fighter’s ability to perform on fight night. Photo by Sherdog.com.
Cutting weight is a brutal process that effects performance in many ways. Balancing nutrition, recovery, fluid intake and the like can prevent fighters from training well. Difficult cuts can increase the likelihood of injuries and concussions. Most obviously for fans, it can wreak absolute havoc on a fighter’s cardio, even if they’ve otherwise trained well.
With that in mind, making weight cutting safer and easier can both make life easier for fighters, and improve the product offered to fans.
Cris Cyborg had an insanely tough cut down to 140 pounds in her UFC debut. Seriously! You can see every muscle in her body.
And the UFC did just that!
Over the last few weeks, the UFC has amended its weight cutting rules to offer a wider window for weigh-ins which gives fighters more time to rehydrate, and a more forgiving deadline to actually come in at weight. While the UFC has only used it a few times so far, most recently at UFC Fight Night 89 last week, it has been met with overwhelming support from fighters.
Conor McGregor is another fighter that had a notoriously difficult cut. Photo by Sherdog.com.
There is a concern among some that more forgiving weight cutting regulations will encourage fighters to try out bigger, riskier cuts. To this point, though, it seems like an excellent change that is making the overall product better.
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