"Boxing used to have it the same day but the excessive weight cutting was leading to more permanent injuries."
What you don't mention here is that Dr. Flip Homansky, who was the head NSAC doctor who lead the charge for previous day weigh-ins has actually changed his opinion on this issue. He has said that the previous day weigh-ins have created a bigger problem than the one they were meant to solve.
probably a naieve question, but why not have a scale at the ring for the start of the fight? If you are over, you don't get paid and have a seriously massive fine.
No one would be dehydrated, as there would be no advantage in cutting. Someone might come in over the limit, but once everyone else sees the no pay and million $ fine, they would soon learn. Only disadvantage is to last minute replacements.
i like the idea of same day weight ins. And besides the ufc heavy weight devision is such a sham i wouldnt be surprised if they did it just to even out the devision
Yea, it might force guys like Rashad and Jardine to actually fight at HW.
This is an old topic that keeps getting rehashed.
Fact is that fighers will cut no matter when the weigh in is. The way it is now is safest for the fighters cos they get to rehydrate which puts the cusion in the meningies.
You can only cut a certain amount of weight. Its natural these days to cut 15 pounds before a fight for all divisions other than heavyweight.
It takes a huge amount of strain to cut weight and usually takes a while to get the strength back, thats why Riggs was in such a tired state. If people want to cut more weight they do it at their own detriment.
Everyone cuts, its part of the sport.
"If a fighter feels he is to small for 185"
That's the point -- someone who is 185lb shouldn't "feel too small for 185". Don't you see the inherent ridiculousness of that statement? "I'm too small to fight at 185 because I weigh 185."
"plus, i don't want to see fighters who haven't had a chance to eat or drink properly for fear of being over. "
That's also the point -- they would eat and drink normally, because they would be fighting at their actual weight. They wouldn't be cutting.
As Sawdusk pointed out, high level competitors in high school, college, and the Olympics have same day weigh-ins. And while they still cut weight, they are not walking into the ring weighing 20-30 pounds heavier than when they got on the scale a few hours earlier. And if they did, they would most likely get their ass kicked.
I'm all for same day weigh-ins. Fighters would only be cutting like 5 pounds max...if they were smart and got that stigma out of their head. It wouldn't change many potential match ups, but it would make the UFC HW division much deeper!
funny....tito has been doing it since the beginning.....no complaints........
I am all for same day weigh ins, give a better idea of who the TRUE natural athlete at that weight is
This crap about "fighters will cut weight anyway, so let them do it a day in advance" doesn't fly. If they try to cut too much for a fight-day weigh in, they would risk losing. So, in order to not lose due to last minute cutting, they'll start fighting at a more natural weight. Why would someone repeatidely lose or risk losing over cutting weight versus going skills vs. skills?
This needs to be instituted now, knowing there wil be some growing pains, but in the end...it'll be better and safer for all.
An interesting move would be to have ALSO mandatory weigh-ins on the day of the fight, as they got into the arena.
Now, those weigh-ins WOULDN'T have any official value, but they would show how much weight the guys did put back, and serve to keep track and do some stats for a well thought future decision regarding those rules. Plus, it would answer a lot of questions for the fans as who's cutting more, etc.
Eduardo Alonso.
"If that's true, Why did he change his opinion Tomato? The same day weigh-in exsisted for a long time tell it was changed.Why was it changed? I'm sure other doctor's disagreed with him."
He changed his opinion because he felt that the extra day was giving guys an opportunity to cut crazy amounts of weight which wasn't really safe anyway, plus it was creating unfair matchups like Gatti/Gamache. There was an article about it in the last issue of Ring magazine. When I get home I'll post some quotes from it.
The whole point of weight classes is to have a theoretically level playing field -- fighters are matched with opponents the same size, so it will be their skills and talents that decide the fight, not their size.
Weight cutting defeats the entire purpose of having weight classes.
It's nothing against the fighters -- obviously they should do what they can within the rules. It's the rules that are the problem. If Joe Riggs beats Kenny Florian or Aaron Riley, what have we learned about their respective skills?
TOO much gap in the light-heavies and the heavy weigh class. Most fighters that walk at 220-230 would not fair very well against the 6-7 and 6-9-265 lb fighters. This is probably the weight class that has to cut the most to compete. Most weight classes has 15-20lb difference but the light-heavies have to be at 205 or they have to fight guys that could be as much as 60 lb heavier than them. Need to institute a break in there such as 205-230 heavy weights, 230-265 super-heavy, then it would be more equal. 60 lbs is too much weight to give up imo. Just my 2 cents
there is about zero talent at HW, no need to thin it out even more.
jimmy ambriz cannont make 235 no matter what.
yea its also funny how without the fans we dont have a sport we just have fights...........but the argument that fighters will cut no matter what and then we will see crappy fights i say fine eventually someone like diaz who fights a his natural weight will step in completly hydrated an energized an beat the shit out of whoever he fights........ other fighters will then be forced to follow or lose its that simple...
now sayin that i have no problem with guys cuttin like they do now cause its within the rules, but it hugely takes away from the sport and is detrimental to the guys with real skills