Weight classes are a fundamental part of the UFC, the most famous mixed martial arts organization in the world. These weight limits not only ensure fair competition but also add a strategic and narrative dimension to the fights. The UFC currently divides fighters into 12 main categories, 8 for men and 4 for women. Let's delve into the details of UFC weigh-ins, exploring the weight classes, the practice of weight cutting, and the regulations in place.
Weight classes are categories that separate fighters based on their body weight. This system prevents athletes with significant weight differences from competing against each other, ensuring more balanced and safer fights.
Initially, the UFC had no weight limits. Fights were true style clashes without regard for body size differences. In 1997, the introduction of the first weight classes revolutionized the sport. Since their introduction, they have ensured fairness and enabled the rise of legendary champions.
UFC Weight Classes
The UFC currently has 12 weight classes, all that require fighters to weigh in under a desired limit. Here is a list of UFC weight classes:
- Strawweight: 115 lbs/52.2 kg
- Flyweight: 125 lbs/56.7 kg
- Bantamweight: 135 lbs/61.2 kg
- Featherweight: 145 lbs/65.8 kg
- Lightweight: 155 lbs/70.3 kg
- Welterweight: 170 lbs/77.1 kg
- Middleweight: 185 lbs/83.9 kg
- Light Heavyweight: 205 lbs/93.0 kg
- Heavyweight: 205-265 lbs/93.0-120.2 kg
Weight limits in women's MMA mostly follow the Unified Rules' limits, but organizations that recognize women's championships usually only have titles at the lower end of the table. UFC, for example, recognizes women's titles in the strawweight, flyweight, and bantamweight classes.
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Each class has characteristics that influence fighting strategies. In lighter classes, speed and technique are crucial, while in heavier classes, striking power plays a central role.
There are ongoing discussions about introducing new weight classes, such as the Cruiserweight class (between Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight).
Weight classes are not just a sports matter. They also reflect diversity in gender and body types, promoting a message of inclusivity.
UFC official weigh-ins are held the day before fight night and require athletes to weigh-in between 9am and 11am local time. For non-title bouts, strawweight athletes have a one-pound leeway on the scale, meaning they can weigh up to 116 pounds.
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The Practice of Weight Cutting
One of the most controversial aspects of weight classes is “cutting,” the practice of rapidly losing weight to meet the weight limit of one’s class. While common, it can have devastating effects on athletes’ health, such as extreme dehydration and fatigue.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is renowned as a highly regulated combat sport. Its fighters are continuously tested to prevent them from intaking performance-enhancing drugs, such as steroids. However, despite its strict regulations and standards, the fighters’ extreme weight cutting has always been an issue in UFC.
Weight can be lost rapidly through many modalities including heat, water loading, and fasting. A study reported that 39 percent of MMA fighters opt for going about their day without drinking water to lose weight fast. The key to dropping weight quickly and “safely” is strategically manipulating water. As shown, the amount of water gradually decreases, starting with two gallons to hardly any water in the last two days before the weigh-ins happen. Then, if they suddenly cut back their water consumption in the middle and end of the week, their bodies will still be in flushing mode. In other words, they’ll hit the toilet to pee a lot despite hardly drinking any water.
Along with water intake manipulation, UFC fighters must get a balanced, nutritious diet. While many tend to undergo a starvation regime, others properly intake sufficient macro and micronutrients to get peak performance and health and weight regulation. Nonetheless, their carb intake must be low, around 50 grams daily. A gram of any carbohydrate usually pulls 2.7 grams of water into the body, which is the counter-effect of dehydration. Thus, lowering or avoiding carb consumption at all costs is crucial.
Keeping carb intake to a minimum also depletes muscle glycogen, the source of metabolic fuel for our muscles. Alternatively, UFC fighters usually load up on high-quality protein to conserve energy. The sodium in salt causes our bodies to retain and absorb more water than they would otherwise. That’s why dropping salt intake can help UFC fighters keep flushing water out.
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If UFC fighters still need to get down to the wire and still have to lose more water, they typically opt for diuretics. This is because they can help the body eliminate excess salt and water through urination. Apart from excreting sodium and water, diuretics have many health benefits. First, they help the kidneys to release more sodium into the urine. Many UFC fighters go for prescription diuretics that are in the form of pills and are commonly called water pills.
UFC fighters sweat excessive liquid out through low-intensity drills. Instead, they do light bike riding or treadmill running. While doing so, they usually wear plastic tracksuits to drastically intensify their sweating. Others also sit in a sauna.
Throughout the entire MMA history, extreme weight-cutting has resulted in two untimely deaths. Since then, UFC fighters have been taking weight cuts more seriously.
Weight classes vary slightly between organizations. ONE Championship, for example, uses a hydration-based system designed to eliminate weight cutting.
Like the weight class sports of wrestling and BJJ, weight “cutting” is a prevalent aspect in MMA. However, weight cutting is a more prevalent aspect in MMA than many other combat and grappling sports, as research demonstrates over 90% of MMA athletes use rapid weight loss techniques.
Research suggests an MMA athlete may lose up to 10% of their body mass prior to a weigh-in, and may regain most of that lost weight in the time between the weigh-in and the fight competition. This in theory supports the idea that an athlete with a weight advantage may confer a competitive advantage in certain combat sports and contexts.
Previous research has suggested that athletes will regain most of that weight that was lost prior to competition. Moreover, it was suggested that athletes could gain nearly 5.5 kg of bodyweight prior to competition. The current data demonstrate that UFC athletes lost nearly 6.7% of their total body weight in a 72 h period, however, the UFC athletes regained approximately 9.7% of their total body weight between official weigh-in and competition (24-36 h post).
Previous rehydration research has shown that weight regained may or may not have an impact on overall winning and performance. It was hypothesized that weight cutting percentages would vary between weight divisions. Based on the results, many differences existed between weight classes at specific time points. Most notably, the featherweight division demonstrated the most aggressive of all weight loss/regain data. This division lost approximately 8.2% in the final 72 h, while regaining nearly 12% of their total body weight.
This class appeared to be the least aggressive, losing approximately 5.5% in the final 72 h while regaining nearly 7% of their total body weight. Based on the current study, the results demonstrate that professional UFC fighters lose weight prior to the official weigh-in. Moreover, these athletes also gain weight to rehydrate, refuel, and ultimately compete at a weight heavier than that recorded at the official weigh-in.
Based on the results, these percentages may be applied to weight loss scheduling, may provide safe and effective weight loss strategies, and may improve weight regaining hydration prior to competition.
New Regulations and Procedures
For most of the last 15 years in the UFC, the structure of weigh-ins before events has been the same. This weekend will be different.
The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has shaken things up with its emphasis on changing the culture of using severe dehydration to cut weight in MMA. In February, the CSAC passed ground-breaking rules that have already been adapted in other commissions across the country.
UFC 199 in Los Angeles will be the first UFC event where the new regulations will be applied. The card is the first of what could end up being the norm in the sport moving forward. The UFC itself is already considering changing its weigh-in procedure.
The biggest change will happen Friday. at a nearby hotel, the athletes can begin weighing in. They will have a window of four hours to do so and can hit the scale at any time during that period. UFC and commission officials will be present. weigh-in. The idea is to give fighters more time to rehydrate before the fight.
In addition to the weigh-in change, doctors on hand Friday and Saturday during fight night will pay closer attention to hydration while examining fighters. For the first time, doctors will have the ability to use specific gravity tests on fight nights to determine if a fighter is adequately hydrated to compete. If a fighter is still severely dehydrated on fight day, the commission doctor could pull him or her out of the fight for safety reasons.
Fighters will still pose on stage and square off with each other like the weigh-ins we’re used to. weigh-in will be open to the public and air on FOX Sports 1, as usual. The official weigh-in earlier in the day will be closed to the public and media. CSAC executive officer Andy Foster said because there will be medical exams going on in the same room during the official weigh-in, they cannot be public events. Foster said that part of the procedure might change in the future.
If a fighter misses weight, he or she will get a second try as always. If the weight is still off, the one-hour window to make weight applies. If the fighter is still more than a pound after one hour, 20-percent of his or her purse will be forfeited. The rules in this regard have not changed.
If an athlete misses weight, how will anyone know? Well, a representative from the opponent’s team will be called down to witness the weigh-in to ensure transparency. and the commission will have the weights available as public record thereafter.
Ayoub said if a fighter is severely dehydrated on weigh-in day, he will be given a plan to rehydrate properly in time for the fight. If that fighter is still severely dehydrated on fight day with no more time to replenish nutrients, then and only then will he or she be prevented from competing.
According to Ayoub, there are a few indicators. Those include heart rate, blood pressure and skin turgor. If a fighter has a high heart rate, low blood pressure or a lack of skin elasticity, that’s a red flag. At that point, a specific gravity test can be used on fight night to test for hydration level. A combination of all these things will determine if a fighter is severely dehydrated.
There is a long-held belief in the sport that the more weight a fighter can cut, the better and bigger fighters have an advantage in the cage. Fighters can lose 30 pounds or more to reach their weight class and a popular method is through severe dehydration.
The problem with severe dehydration is that it’s dangerous in a vacuum and even scarier for someone who is going to get punched in the head a few hours later. Ayoub and his peers believe that a fighter cannot be fully rehydrated -- especially in the brain -- just 24 hours after depleting themselves of all those necessary fluids and nutrients. That can lead to an increase in concussions and beyond. Moreover, Ayoub thinks performance also suffers and that there is an advantage in being the bigger fighter through dehydration is a myth.
Cutting weight is a process that originated in amateur wrestling and the culture has stuck.
There is a belief that fighters must be convinced that their performance will suffer due to extreme weight cutting and that’s the only way things will change. Fighters, warriors that they are, value performance over long-term health. So far, they have not been convinced that cutting weight hurts them in fights and many believe that specific gravity tests and examining for dehydration is bunk. Most fighters are fans of the status quo in this regard and understandably want a say in changes made that will affect their livelihood.
What fighters do love about CSAC’s new rules is getting to weigh-in earlier with more time to rehydrate. Dominick Cruz spoke about it during a recent episode of UFC Embedded. Luke Rockhold addressed it on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani on Monday. weigh-in show. Not in California this week. They can wake up, cut the rest of the weight, step on the scale and they’re done. They can begin eating and drinking again.
Weight classes are an essential part of the sport’s success and appeal.