As most fans already know a common topic of discussion has always been fighter weights on weigh in day compared to fight night. How many times have we heard Joe Rogan comment on someone being a “big middleweight” like Yoel Romero or simply saying someone like Brock Lesnar weighed in at 265 pounds but is “much heavier” tonight. You get the gist.
Despite giving an unfair advantage to those with good weight cut genetics the weight differential is dangerous. Some fighters can make the cut and then outweigh their opponents substantially at fight time but there are many who simply struggle to make weight healthily let alone recover properly in time to compete.
Renan Barao was hospitalized from a botched weight cut before his fight with TJ Dillashaw at UFC 177 and an estimated 39% of all fighters enter The Octagon dehydrated. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg in the weight cutting gambles athletes regularly take. The California State Athletic Commission has even recommended that fighters not cut more than 10% of their total body weight for their own safety.
Using Rich Franklin as an example here, I can attest to his walk around weight having been over 210 pounds before cutting down to his 185 pound fight weight . He doesn’t eat anything sweet or processed and his idea of a dessert is literally a “diet root beer” but even he will tell you the effects of weight cutting are no joke.
I highly doubt prelim or middle card fighters can afford to eat like upper tier athletes do so their diets likely differ tremendously. To cut weight on said questionable diets can’t be good for anyone. Then again if you are a soda junkie and you cut those sugars out it may fix itself. Chances are that’s not the case for most UFC fighters.
To the point of this article…
MMAmania shared an image of the weights of UFC 241 fighters at weigh-ins compared to fight day and some of these fighters cut WAY too much in our opinion.
Before you read it make some predictions and then check your answers. One guy will be on everyone’s list…
Is it any surprise Yoel Romero sometimes misses weight when he goes from 184.7 on weigh-in day to 207 on fight day? No. No it isn’t. His opponent Paulo Costa has him whipped though going from 186 to an astonishing 213. Incredible.
Take a look at the list and let us know what you think of it in the comments.