These days jumping weight classes seems easy and almost common place after a loss or two. However, it doesn’t seem to get anyone a belt. Based on my extensive background (see join date) and research (10 minutes on Wikipedia) it looks like there have been very few, if any, fighters that have dropped weight due to not being able to hack it in their “natural” division, and come out a better fighter/ successful title holder.
Sherk is an example where it did work out. After his loss to GSP he jumped down to lightweight, presumably since he knew as long as GSP held the WW belt, he wouldn’t get it. Plus it was a vacant belt and a fight against Florian. It was a no brainer.
More recently lets look at Swick and Diego. Swick dropped down to WW even though he did just fine at MW. He looks like a skeleton and is struggling just as bad. Diego started as a MW on TUF, dropped to WW and did well but struggled against top competition. He’s now dropped to LW and had two decisions against top 10ish guys. Is a weight cut really the key to holding a title?
I’m not as keen on details and haven’t been around as long as a lot of you, have there been any other guys in or outside of the UFC that have struggle at one weight class, dropped and either gotten a (deserved) title shot or even held the belt?
it might not get titles.
but guys aren't going down in weight to get title shots, its to fight in their proper weight classes. nowadays, we dont see any fat guys in the UFC underneath 205. guys are getting in real shape and finding their proper weight.
if you are capable of jumping the 15 lb gap between classes, you did not belong in the class above.
henderson and couture change weights like anderson, because they're good.
swick was a good sized MW and diego a good sized WW. They dropped because they couldn't handle their natural weight division.
anyone can jump weight classes, but these guys aren't making the jump because they're cleaning up and need a new challenge. bj and anderson are doing that.
clattymine - henderson and couture change weights like anderson, because they're good.
swick was a good sized MW and diego a good sized WW. They dropped because they couldn't handle their natural weight division.
anyone can jump weight classes, but these guys aren't making the jump because they're cleaning up and need a new challenge. bj and anderson are doing that.
Swick was a good sized MW? You lost me right there. Swick was walking around at 190 as a MW. That's not what I would condider a good sized MW
clattymine - These days jumping weight classes seems easy and almost common place after a loss or two. However, it doesn't seem to get anyone a belt. Based on my extensive background (see join date) and research (10 minutes on Wikipedia) it looks like there have been very few, if any, fighters that have dropped weight due to not being able to hack it in their "natural" division, and come out a better fighter/ successful title holder.
Sherk is an example where it did work out.
Except that he isn't. He was a natural 155er that had to fight at 170 because the UFC didn't have a 155 division back then . Heck, his best weight might be 145, but he wants to fight in the UFC.
clattymine - henderson and couture change weights like anderson, because they're good.
swick was a good sized MW and diego a good sized WW. They dropped because they couldn't handle their natural weight division.
anyone can jump weight classes, but these guys aren't making the jump because they're cleaning up and need a new challenge. bj and anderson are doing that.
I would argue that there isn't even such a thing as your "natural" weight class, there is the class you are best at, and the classes you aren't as good at.
Also, if you guys hang out in the gyms much, you would see the way peoples bodies transform. It is incredibly hard to hang on to muscle with that kind of intense training, and it's natural to drop if you aren't "big" or strong for your old weight class anymore.
evan tanner and rich franklin deserve to be added to the success stories list. possibly alvarez and aoki as well?
Randy goes from ome weight class to another just long enough for people to forget that he wasnt all that good there in the first place. As soon as it becomes obvious that he's non-competetive, as with Barnett and Ricco Rod than moving to LHWT and then Chack and moving back to HWT, and now with Brock and other big heavies and moving back down to lhwt, he jumps weight classes and rejuvinates his fanbois for a title run. IDK what his best weight is, but he will be the most overrated and nuthugged fighter for a long time to come.
A lot of guys try to drop weight to gain a size advantage (obviously) when everything else seems even.
It is also looked at like an answer to why things are going wrong after a loss.
Some guys just finally stop eating like crap and let the weight drop off of them like it would had they been eating well the entire time before. (Brandon Vera)
Rich Franklin dropped from LHW down to MW and won a belt
Simplistic thread. Dropping down a weightclass to fight people your own size doesn't mean there aren't people your size who are better than you.
^in a nutshell really
SKARHEAD - Simplistic thread. Dropping down a weightclass to fight people your own size doesn't mean there aren't people your size who are better than you.
It's not always about fighting people your own size....in fact, its trying to get an advantage to fight guys smaller than you.
It's the reason why guys like Thiago Alves and Anthony Johnson do whatever they can to stay at WW, when they should really be fighting at MW....
^^ I agree about Johnson but not Alves. I think he's an example of a guy who's maybe bulked up too much for his frame. He's only 5'9, so he'd struggle against MWs who have both height and reach on him since he's primarily a striker.
Rashad and Machida both fought at HW and dropped down to LHW and won the title.
it does if youre sean sherk...
sherk did it, rashad did it, penn did it, it seems to work.
Besides what other people said:
GSP started at MW.
Forrest dropped from HW to get the LHW belt.
Dogmeat 1 -
Sean Sherk has been dominated and out-wrestled at both WW and LW so it's hard to argue that he is better in the lighter division.
Sherk won the UFC belt at LW, something he had zero chance of doing at WW. If that doesn't qualify as success in fightsports, what does? He is pretty obviously much better at 155.
Just ask Fedor....
His answer to the statement, that he was small for the HW div, so would he consider cutting weight to fight at LH?
"What would be the point in that???" "How do you prove your the best in the world, if you only look to fight smaller opponents?
And to say that they're just losing weight from training, then they wouldn't have to cut and weigh-in the day before and rehydrate to fight 10-15 lbs heavier on fightday!