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Weight cutting in MMA has been a big problem for a long time. We've seen many cases in the past where oversized fighters compromise severely on their health and cut far more weight than they normally should just so they can have a size and power advantage in a certain division.
The first example that comes to mind is Anthony "Rumble" Johnson. A man who now walks around at 250-260 lbs once used to compete at Welterweight (170 lbs). He eventually found his home at the Light Heavyweight division (205 lbs) but even that seems too far a cut now that he's planning his big return.
A more recent example is Darren Till, who found some success at Welterweight but visibly struggled with the weight cut. He has since moved up to Middleweight, but many still believe that given his size - Light Heavyweight is the division he'll end up settling in.
Unfortunately, the problem hasn't decreased. Due to the lack of regulations when it comes to weight cutting, it appears as though an increasing number of fighters are missing weight. That was the case in 2019 as Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie revealed a stat showing that 2019 saw an all-time high with UFC fighters missing weight.
Out of 30 fighters that missed weight in 2019, only two didn't fight.10 of those won their contests, while 17 lost and 1 was a draw.
Cub Swanson responded to the post saying:
We hope that more fighters start competing in their natural weight class where they can focus on technique rather than spending a chunk of time cutting weight.
It's detrimental in the long run and while some have used the size disparity to their advantage (compromising 30% of their purse in the process), something needs to be done about it.
