The Takedown | UFC 259: Israel Adesanya fighting at ‘walk around weight’ could signal new era of no cutting in MMA
- ‘The Last Stylebender’ is trying a new tactic to capture a second title – foregoing a weight cut for his next fight
- Weight cutting has long been seen as a necessary evil when it comes to the fight game, but could we see a change?
There may be no tougher profession within the sporting world than that of a mixed martial artist. They have to master a number of skills: striking, kick-boxing, groundwork, takedown defence, submission tactics.
These all require working within different realms: boxing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestling, the list goes on and on. Their careers hinge on wins, and catching a lucky punch could spell disaster in a split second. They train relentlessly, to fight other doppelgängers, hoping to come out on top in a sport that has next to nothing in terms of mercy.
On top of all this, there is the exhausting, debilitating act of cutting weight for a fight. Usually around a week before a bout, fighters start restricting their diet, and dehydrating their bodies. For some, this runs right up until the official weigh in, where some will throw up just before getting on the scale to drop that final pound or two. The horror stories are plentiful, and we got another one this past weekend to add to the pile.
Bobby Green, who was supposed to fight Jim Miller, collapsed backstage before UFC 258 in Las Vegas trying to get down to 155 pounds (70kg) for the lightweight division. The fight was pulled as Green was in no condition to enter the Octagon. This is a common occurrence in the UFC, and fighters have accepted it as part of the game – or have they?