RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL - JANUARY 13: Anthony Johnson weighs in during the UFC 142 Weigh In at HSBC Arena on January 13, 2012 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images).
This is a guest editorial by Rosi Sexton, top 10 pound-for-pound women's MMA fighter and osteopath responding to the debacle that ensued at UFC 142 when middleweight Anthony Johnson couldn't make 185lbs to face Vitor Belfort.
Weight cutting is a frequent topic of obsession for fighters and debate amongst fans. Some have argued that it amounts to cheating. Others point out that when done badly, it can be one of the most dangerous aspects of MMA. Dehydration can result in heat stroke, kidney failure or heart arrhythmias. Although there's very little research on this subject, it's possible that fighters quite commonly dehydrate themselves to a level that affects kidney function. And when it goes badly wrong, it can kill you.
Fighters also know that at the top level, fights are rarely scratched over weight issues. Perhaps this makes some more willing to take greater risks with their weight cuts, knowing that they can negotiate if they fail to hit the target. Sometimes towards the end of a tough cut, taking a 20% pay cut may start to seem like a small price to pay in order to avoid having to drop those extra few pounds, especially when there's a significantly larger win bonus at stake. Missing weight is frowned upon, but fans can be quick to forgive a popular fighter after an impressive win.
What can be done? It's often suggested that weigh-ins should be held just before the fight, so that fighters wouldn't have time to rehydrate and put weight back on. Fighters would no longer gain an advantage by cutting weight, and so the practice would die out. At least that's the theory.
In my opinion (and experience), many fighters would still cut weight for same day weigh-ins. A fighter whose diet doesn't go to plan, and is over the limit on the day will inevitably end up dehydrating to make the required weight, even if he knows it will hurt his performance. Weight cuts might get smaller, but this would be replaced by fighters competing while still dehydrated. This carries its own risks, and should certainly be avoided (and is why Belfort's stipulation that Johnson be re-weighed on fight day would probably not have been accepted by most US athletic commissions).
Another suggestion is that officials measure each fighter's hydration level at the weigh-in, with there being a minimum acceptable standard that fighters are not allowed to drop below. The problem here lies with the business reality of MMA. Nobody - promoters, fighters and fans alike - wants to see a fight fall through. For all the talk about fighter safety, pulling a fighter from a card because he's just a little too dehydrated when he steps on the scales is unlikely to be
something the industry can accept.
It's a problem without easy answers. So far, I have yet to see a practical solution that I'm convinced would eliminate extreme weight cutting. Until then, fighters at all levels need to educate themselves about the process and the risks involved, and take personal responsibility for getting it right, safely.
SBN coverage of UFC RIO 142: Aldo vs. Mendes
Related blogs by Rosi Sexton:
11 recs | 65 comments
Not sure what the answer to this issue is but something has to be done. I kind of like what some areas have tried with the percentage difference between weigh ins and fight night. Can’t be more than 15% more or whatever.
I remember reading the Ask the Doc on another website and he was saying how dangerous it is to fight dehydrated. Hopefully something can be done.
DonkeyOatey - January 15, 2012
Well, they could start taking fighter’s weights a week out from the event and keep doing so every day until the event, with the stipulation that no fighter may be more than say 5 or 10% above his fighting weight on any of those days. Nobody would be able to sustain an extreme cut for a week. However, this would be quite burdensome in terms of logistics, and frankly, I think the whole topic on one fighter being much more/less heavy and more/less exhausted on fight day than his opponent is an interesting aspect about fighting, so I wouldn’t personally want to see that go away. Just saying that it could be done though.
buuuurps - January 15, 2012
its not logistically that hard
Your idea solves it all. I like it. As to being logistically hard, no way. It’s not like each weigh-in has to be this glorious televised event with Joe Rogan screaming. Have all the fighters come in once a day for the week for someone to quietly weigh is easy. Or do it every other day, or do it 3 days consecutive, I don’t know, but it’s still easy. It’s safer, and it would get rid of this whole issue, and allow for MORE fights to follow through which is what this author says is really desired.
Marc Gunn - January 15, 2012
And what if they miss on any given day?
Fight’s off? Purse cut? What if they make weight the first two days, miss it the third, and make it the last? I think this is a logistical nightmare that won’t actually solve a problem that is not that big a deal.
Dave Strummer - January 15, 2012
It's not as easy as it sounds
There would have to be an official at each of these weigh-ins which would be hard on their schedules and probably need more personell to do. Foreign fighters would have to be flown in for the event a week in advance for every card. Late replacements a week away from the fight become impossible. Plus: There will be guys who will try to sustain a hard cut for the week.
KGNLuc - January 15, 2012
People would try to maintain an extreme cut that entire week
Because if you can pull it off and your opponent can’t, you would have a big size advantage.
discoandherpes - January 15, 2012
She even mentions the solution
Measure hydration-levels. Fuck the “business realities”. Fighters will have to make sure they do not overdo the cutting.
KGNLuc - January 15, 2012 via mobile
I’d be in favour if this could be made to work, but I can’t see it being popular. Possibly a fine if hydration is below a certain level, with a lower absolute cut off point.
rosi.sexton - January 15, 2012
This shouldn't be a promoters choice
This would have to be imposed on the promotions by the regulating bodies.
KGNLuc - January 15, 2012
The UFC won't go out of their way to do something that drastic, and likely expensive.
The only thing I think should happen is promoters should force fighters to move up a weight class if they miss weight in their division more than once every 6 fights. That solution would solve the problem of guys who kill themselves to make weight, but they can’t hit their target consistently. Also, the fight promoters should warn the offending fighters that missing weight is UNACCEPTABLE every time they do it, and should result in a punishment, like not being eligible for bonuses for their next 5-6 fights.
In short: Stop letting repeat offenders fight in their preferred weight division, and hit them in the wallets when it comes to future earnings to show that missed weight cuts is not tolerated.
amendamatrix - January 15, 2012
I like the way you think!
Cutting weight is and has been a part of combat sports since the implementation of weight classes. The best we can do is hold fighters to their obligations and keep fighters better informed of the dangers of weight cutting.
JaeeJaee - January 15, 2012 via mobile
Why would you think that?
Phildo - January 15, 2012
My solution
If a guy misses weight once put him on notice saying if he misses weight again it’s the UFC’s right to cut him or make him go up a weight class if he wants to fight again. Misses weight again automatic cut.
dedstrk316 - January 15, 2012
Where's the content?
Is everything ok on the site? It’s the day after a PPV and Anthony Johnson has been cut, but there has been hardly any updates. No winners and losers, no analysis.
dude-1981 - January 15, 2012
Roth must have fallen asleep on the train again.
dedstrk316 - January 15, 2012
Didn’t see his body at the train yard this morning but I did find a Prius with several used condoms and a note…..
Riney - January 15, 2012
DAMN YOU!
I got hit in the ribs with a line drive yesterday and this made me laugh so hard I think I’m puking blood.
dedstrk316 - January 15, 2012
Isn't osteopathy some new age, mumbo jumbo bs?
yonsson - January 15, 2012
Hey troll, i’m gonna take a real leap of faith and say that Rosi Sexton knows infinitely more about the workings of the human body than me and you ever will.
sheikybaby - January 15, 2012
Not necessarily trolling though. At least part of it fits the description.
KGNLuc - January 15, 2012
No trolling intended. The article didn't have any osteopathy bs, so I guess she wrote it as a fighter
And as a fighter, I’m sure she is very capable of commenting weight cutting. -Just saying that being a osteopath doesn’t make anyone trust you…
yonsson - January 15, 2012
no
Phildo - January 15, 2012
Not as far as I'm aware
I can’t speak for all osteopaths, of course, and I’m sorry that you appear to have had bad experiences. When I studied, the course included a large component of anatomy, physiology and clinical medicine and the importance of research and evidence based practice was emphasised. I like to think that this is reflected in the way that I practice.
My understanding of weight cutting comes both from my experience as a fighter, and my background in physiology and nutrition. I also write about training, injury prevention and rehabilitation – you can find my professional blog here: http://combatsportsclinic.com/blog/
If you do find any factual inaccuracies, or “new age, mumbo jumbo bs” in anything I’ve written, please let me know so that I can correct it. :)
rosi.sexton - January 15, 2012
Create Standards and Stick to Them
Since this is a business and the fighter’s job is to make as much money as he can by fighting
Hit them where their heart is, in the pocket
as the Belfort-Johnson fight showed, just being bigger is not always enough but it can help sometimes
so what we want to do is discourage the fighters from drastic weight-cutting trying to gain an unfair advantage.
The only real tool we have is their paycheck
so let’s use that to our benefit
Each Fighter should have a signed agreement
1. this what I weigh to sign my contract, this is my Base Weight/walking weight, this what I will weigh when I sign for each fight
2. this is the weight class I will compete in, it is the next weight class under my Base/walking weight, this will be my Fighting weight
3. If I want to change my base/walking weight or weight class I will be re-weighed and re-ceetified and allow six months for my fighting weight to adjust to my new Base Weight
4. If I go above my Base Weight at the time I sign a fight contract I automatically forfeit 15% of the agreed pay
5. If I miss weight at the fight weigh-ins but weigh in within 5 pounds of my agreed to weight class, I automatically forfeit another 15% of the pay
6. If I miss weight by more than 5 pounds I agree that the fight will be cancelled and I will be terminated or transferred to another wing of the promotion at greatly reduced wages
With any co-operation this set-up will result in healthier fighters, more competative fights and the near end of massive weight-cutting
kah - January 15, 2012
Dude, that's crazy talk
You haven’t accounted for young 20 something naturally growing and filling out firstly.
Nextly you haven’t accounted for the weight gain that can come with new focuses in training and dieting. Prime example, in many sports players will lift and get big in the off season so they dont get too small during the season as they lose muscle mass.
You can’t relegate a fighters weight more than a few days beyond the fight. Between, traveling, press and promotion and having an actual life it would literally make them slaves to this fight game, and it already takes far more dedication than the average career.
JaeeJaee - January 15, 2012 via mobile
I'm not sure this is something that can or should be solved
though I wouldn’t mind seeing stiffer purse penalties for missing weight. If it was closer to 40 or 50 percent, guys might get their shit together earlier.
Rumble to me seems like an extreme outlier in terms of how aggressively he tries to cut weight. It’s disturbing to think what he might be doing to his body over the long (or even short) term, but people are always going to try to game any system.
Dave Strummer - January 15, 2012
Vitor’s 25lbs cut in 4 days is still a lot to me. I don’t think fighters should be doing this at all. Weighing multiple times would force fighters to be natural weight when fighting, would decrease the violations to nil so the show could always go on as this author states is important, would be safer, performance may be better, and wouldn’t hurt the cards as all as all fighters would be affected relatively the same way. Just take this dehydration abuse out of the equation entirely.
Marc Gunn - January 15, 2012
Weight cutters are gonna cut no matter what.
Your solution creates too much of a chance that a fight can get cancelled at the very last minute, leaving no room for replacements or alternatives. That kind of thing can destroy cards that had a lot of marketing put behind them.
Vitor is a pro and took his weight cut seriously, he shouldn’t be punished because AJ, who didn’t plan out his cut properly, messed up.
amendamatrix - January 15, 2012
Hence why he was rewarded with 20% of AJ's purse
Although Dana White also gave him an “out with honor” if he was willing to forego that and just get straight to rehydrating.
Chortles - January 15, 2012
25 done right is not that bad.
JaeeJaee - January 15, 2012 via mobile
If a UFC doctor stopped his weight cut because of potential harm to his body,
shouldn’t he had stopped the fight at the same time because of the health issue?
yonsson - January 15, 2012
If the UFC doctor pushes you off the tracks because there’s a train approaching, doesn’t mean you can’t fight.
KGNLuc - January 15, 2012
People keep saying this, but I don’t get it.
Being too sick to cut 2 pounds doesn’t mean you will be too sick to fight over 24 hours later
Phildo - January 15, 2012
Short of living with these guys 24-7, there’s not much else the commisions or medics can do. Some guys are simply willing to do anything to their bodies to get an advatange in size and strength on the night. If guys like Anthony Johnson make an absolute hash of it, it’s completely on them.
sheikybaby - January 15, 2012
I think that the lack of incentive for the promoters, fighters and fans is the true problem – no one wants to scrap a fight because someone wasn’t on weight the day before or was too dehydrated. The UFC often has other fighters standing by in case someone falls ill or can not fight and they might need to do this more regularly. Just paying a couple of other guys to train and be ready to fight wouldn’t kill them financially. Ie, just off the top of my head, but Alan Belcher would have been a fine replacement if Johnson wasn’t allowed to fight. The UFC could have paid him to train and be ready on standby. Problem solved.
mburtoni - January 15, 2012 via mobile
Another example – Thiago Alves has missed weight a few times, no? He’s headlining against Kampann at the next event in Australia. Let’s have at least quality WW on standby in case Alves doesn’t make weight properly. I bet Jon Fitch would take that fight to try to get back in the win column.
mburtoni - January 15, 2012 via mobile
Just have a second weigh in and for every pound over the limit you subtract 5 percent of fighters purse
terzergoss - January 15, 2012
Gleison Tibau would end up owing them money.
mburtoni - January 15, 2012 via mobile
Well basically UFC should treat low hydration levels like low level PEDs. Except its only punishable by fines and neveR results in canceled fights
terzergoss - January 15, 2012
Does anyone else find it absurd that rumble an Vitor lost like 20 pounds in one day to try to make middle weight only to fight at light heavy weight the next day?
terzergoss - January 15, 2012
Not really.
As long as there are weight classes there will always be guys making big weight cuts if they can handle it. Sonnen and Munoz probably cut even more than that, since they were wrestlers before MMA.
amendamatrix - January 15, 2012
Gaining 20 pounds in one day doesn’t mean he lost 20 pounds in one day.
Phildo - January 15, 2012
I seeing a trend in this thread. Only a handful of people seem to understand how weight cutting works, you being one of them.
JaeeJaee - January 15, 2012 via mobile
I agree
a lot of the weight gain is from the post weigh in carb load in preparation for the fight. i think people would benefit from reading all of these articles http://combatsportsclinic.com/category/sport-nutrition/weight-cutting-sport-nutrition/
Andy Anderson - January 15, 2012
Very interesting read
I think I am gonna check out Rosi’s other blogs
Robert V-U - January 15, 2012
Weight cutting undermines the whole idea of weight classes if people are not truly fighting at the same weight come fight time
terzergoss - January 15, 2012
Is this possible? I’ve never heard of a test for that. It actually sounds like a darn good solution to me. While, as you say, it does have business impacts, I don’t think it is insurmountable. I think the main issue with the whole problem is that the UFC does not have much incentive to fix it. They just don’t care enough.
Thanks for the great post, Rosi. You’re a fantastic writer and I hope to see you continue to post!
jafotinatos - January 15, 2012
Exactly.
In plenty of instances, and for promoters, it is not too far off the mark to say that it is more important to retain the event that could potentially generate millions of dollars in revenue for your company than cancel it in favor of the health of a measly fighter.
Unabomberman - January 15, 2012
If the UFC truly put fighter safety above money, then Anthony Johnson would not have fought last night. Period. I was pretty disappointed by the whole sequence of events. Doctors demanded he be put on IV fluids?! How is it even up for debate at that point? Dana and Lorenzo should not have let him fight; this incident could come back to bite them in the press.
Machiel Van - January 15, 2012
This reminds me of blood doping where athletes store their own blood only to have it injected into them before competition for double the the blood cells and double the gas. It’s not a PED but still illegal
terzergoss - January 15, 2012
it’s just a problem that comes with weight classes. When there are weight classes, people are going to cut weight, so you have to deal with it unless you have a safe solution. Same day weigh ins is not a safe solution.
Phildo - January 15, 2012
If I were a fighter I’d cut blood.
Bolshevik - January 15, 2012
Let this be a lesson, when putting together a fight camp you need to hire a nutritionist.
The sauna can’t be your only option.
I really don’t feel bad for a fighter that signs a contract months out to fight at a specific weight and when it comes to weigh-ins, fails to honor that contract.
tigerlee - January 15, 2012
I think Rumble put on too much muscle mass when he knew he was going up to middleweight
It was down to his training and nutrition.
KJ Gould - January 15, 2012
"and take personal responsibility for getting it right, safely."
^This. No more excuses, ever. It irks me when fighters mention a bad weight cut as a contributing factor to a bad performance; EVERYONE does it, so that’s not an excuse! They might as well say “I fought poorly because I chose to be stupid and ignore established weight cutting guidelines that have been around for years and are easy to find.”
Machiel Van - January 15, 2012
And I think Johnson should fight at 205. Anything else is just silly; he’s got the power, size and wrestling to hang at LHW, why the heck wouldn’t he fight at that weight? Why try and deplete your body to the point that making weight is even a question? Is he THAT scared to compete against men his own size? Because if that’s the case, he needs to find something else to do with his life.
Machiel Van - January 15, 2012
From Rosi's blog:
- Make sure you understand the process of weight cutting, and what can go wrong. Do your own research and take responsibility for your own weight cut. Having someone experienced who can advise you is great, but at the end of the day it’s your body and your health on the line.
- Never sign a contract unless you know you can make the weight, and have a clear plan to do so.
- Make sure you’ve practiced your weight cut. Yes, doing a cut when you haven’t got a fight sucks. But it also allows you to experiment, and to find out how your body works and which methods are best for you without the pressure of knowing that you have to make the weight. That way, you’ll also know how much you can cut, rather than relying on the method of wishful thinking.
- Leave a margin for error. Once you know the maximum you can safely cut, make sure that you have at least a few pounds in the bank. Just in case your flights are delayed, the sauna isn’t working, you’re on your period or the dog ate your sweat suit.
- Don’t use dehydration as a substitute for a proper diet and conditioning program.
- Don’t assume that just because your favourite fighter can cut 30 lbs in two hours in the sauna (apparently) that you can too. Everyone’s body reacts differently.
- Speak to your doctor first if you have any underlying health issues, and especially any history of heart or kidney problems.
KJ Gould - January 15, 2012
Rosi is totally spot on
It’s a scientific process so get someone in who can use that information in relation to your physique & then discuss how a diet will affect your performance.
Not testing a weight cut after putting on mass is just unbelievable. Johnson is a great athlete, but seems incredibly unprepared for a huge part of the fight game. And since he has failed repeatedly to learn the weight cut system by dropping weight only a few days out every time, I actually fear that he could have kidney damage and should probably see a physician very soon. The press that came out (from his own accounts) was that he had numbness in his legs when the DR forced him to hydrate and considering past accounts of having to be carried to and from weigh-ins suggests he is only using dehydration in place of nutrition. You could almost relate his cut experiences to bulimia.
tigerlee - January 15, 2012
Here's what HS wrestling has done
I coach in MD, and here’s what we’ve done to cut down on crazy weight-cutting.
1) Base-line hydration & body fat testing. Wrestlers must first pass a hydration test for a minimum level of hydration, then step on a scale. Using the weight of the day of certifcation, that wrestler’s weight at 7% body fat is calculated.
2) Data is entered into a spreadsheet provided by the state athletic association that allows wrestlers to lose 1.5% of body fat each week and no more. A weight certificate is generated for each of the first seven weeks of the season.
3) All weigh-ins must be recorded and logged and in compliance with the descent path allowed by the state. A wrestler may eventually be allowed to weigh in at 162 lbs in February, but it’s possible he wouldn’t be allowed to go below 182 in December, and would only be allowed to lose 1.5% of his weight per week to get down to his eventual weight class.
Obviously, what is best for HS wrestlers isn’t the answer for professional adult athletes. The 7% limit may be too high, and the 1.5% limit per week may be too strict.
But the process may be a place to start. The sport of MMA may need to completely re-think how it handles weigh-ins and if a single day-before-event weigh-in is in the best interest of the sport or if a more comprehensive solution is needed.
duck - January 15, 2012
Good suggestion; brings me back to my days as a wrestler. It’s bizarre to think about a HS athlete going through a properly supervised and monitored weight cut, and then seeing these pro fighters do everything so badly. Like you said, the process wouldn’t just translate directly but it’s truly odd that a lot of professionals don’t seek out this kind of structure for their weight cuts. My faith in Mike Dolce is somewhat diminished (although I suspect AJ just didn’t execute his program in good faith).
Machiel Van - January 15, 2012
Mike Dolce
didn’t work with Anthony Johnson. He worked with Vitor Belfort, who actually made weight….
Andy Anderson - January 15, 2012
Weight cutting does have its problems and risks
But it also forces athletes to be in better shape so their body can handle the cut. For example, BJ Penn is a much better athlete at lightweight than when he is fighting at his walk around weight (which is probably what? 168?).
Just that throwing that out there.
discoandherpes - January 15, 2012
BJ Penn had to be in better shape at lightweight
KJ Gould - January 15, 2012
I'm not disagreeing with you.
discoandherpes - January 16, 2012
Lets be real
Some people are going to cut weight in a relatively healthy way and other people aren’t. These are grown men (or women) at the end of the day and they have to be responsible for their own bodies. If someone gets hurt cutting weight, then they really have no one to blame but themselves.
discoandherpes - January 16, 2012
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