Weight Divisions - Benefits and Disadvantages

Discussion in 'General Martial Arts Discussion' started by cxw, Sep 17, 2004.

  1. cxw

    cxw Valued Member

    I'm just wondering what fellow MAPers think about weight divisions.

    All full contact MAs (and most points as well) have weight divisions. The early UFCs didn't, but now UFC does. Some MAs such as Boxing and Muay Thai have heaps of weight divisions.

    A few arguments against weight divisions or having many divisions is these:
    - Instead of people getting bigger and stronger and becoming a better fighter overall, they keep their weight down to stay/drop a weight division. IRL there are no weight divisions so why give MAists incentives to stay small?
    - Numerous divisions waters down the achievement of being champion as there are so many weight divisions.
    - Not having weight divisions could still involve people fighting people of a similar size. If you're doing well, you can step up a level to fighter better fighters (who will generally be bigger). Whilst training you will also look at getting bigger.
    - In some MAs the weigh in happens a while before a fight (I think the UFC). Some people have the ability to loose 5kg (11 pounds) before a weigh in and then put it back on after the weigh in and before the fight. Surely weigh ins should need to be atmost 24 hours before the fight?
    - Other activities are easier for certain body types such as basketball (height), rugby (weight) and long distance running (lack of weight). You don't see these events with height/weight divisions, so why MA?

    A few reasons for weight divisions:
    - It gives small people a genuine hope of being a champion
    - It will lessen the number of mismatches which nobody wants to see

    Any thoughts on weight divisions anyone?
     
  2. Ikken Hisatsu

    Ikken Hisatsu New Member

    most people who are in smaller weight divisions are there for a reason. I myself will probably never be above middleweight (154 pounds) and yes there are those who lose weight to drop down a level but its not like they have any advantage. and this isnt real life.

    this is true. who knows the bantamweight boxing champ? this is one of the reasons the K-1 has only 2 weight divisions.

    so you would still have weght divisions, just not have any kind of system to it? and what about people who dont want to get big and heavy?

    yes, and I thought they were myself.

    they are not involved in a physical altercation (well except the english rugby team half the time ;)

    I would like to see less weight divisions in boxing. at the moment there are far too many. however they are neccessary- a fighter like Buakaw will never beat Alexey Ignashov, the size difference is too great.
     
  3. cxw

    cxw Valued Member

    Ikken: I'm not saying remove weight divisions - part of the post is devil's advocate. I guess my main concern is that some arts have a plethora of weight divisions where every man and his dog has a weight division with very few competitors in it. Good point about k1 only having 2. Perhaps there should only be around 4 weight divisions max - something like under open weight, under 95kg, under 80kg and under 65kg?

    I too will never be big (I'm currently around 166 pounds).
     
  4. Ikken Hisatsu

    Ikken Hisatsu New Member

    yeah i like the way K-1 have it, but it is possibly too restrictive. Mike McDonald for instance, he is too big for max but he really isnt big enough for the likes of ignashov and remy. I think having 4 divisions would be good, but you would need a 70 or 75kg division (Almost all max fighters are that weight I think)
     
  5. alex_000

    alex_000 You talking to me?

    It depends what you are talking about. In pro boxing having a guy of 81kilos fighting a guy of 89 will make a very big difference. It's not like the amateurs where skill matters the most. Pros all have skills (not meaning that skill doesn' matter in pros you know what i mean) .

    more than 5 kilos will make a big difference in the >90 kilos divisions.
     
  6. Ikken Hisatsu

    Ikken Hisatsu New Member

    not the case in K-1, pride, or UFC. although boxing is a lot more dependent on size I guess.
     

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