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What are your thoughts on cutting weight?My thoughts bring me to the conclusion that cutting weight is cheating.I think the guys cutting 20-30lbs to get into a smaller weight class is the same as taking illegal substances to get an edge on their opponent.Fighters should be made to fight at their natural weight and not be allowed to dehydrate them selves in order to fight smaller guys who don't cut weight.I know the rules don't have a issue with this and its probably just me.I say that they should fight on the same day they weigh in.If they want to dehydrate themselves to get in that weight class then they should be made to fight in that state of dehydration.What do you guys think on the subject of cutting weight?

I think it would be nice if everyone fought at their "natural" or "walking around" weight, but cutting has become a deeply entrenched part of the sport that, in my opinion, reflects a certain level of committment and professionalism.

A fighter that is committed to being the best is going to give himself every advantage within the rules...that means packing on as much muscle as possible with out giving up speed or putting himself in a position where the cut is going to take too big of a toll. A professional athlete (particularly in a sport as physically strenuous as MMA) should have a comprehensive strength/conditioning/nutrition program...the ability to make a large cut and still step in the cage/ring hydrated and able to compete at a high level is indicative, to me, of the kind of professionalism I'd like to see more of in the sport.

I bet if weigh-ins were on the same day as the fight, folks would be less tempted to cut huge amounts of weight.

Ohio has already begun to implement a second, fight day weigh in. The fighter has to weigh in within I think 10 lbs of their weight at the primary weigh in the day before. Unfortunately that rule has been inconsistently enforced in Ohio (the UFC was able to get an exemption, don't know about any other promotions). I wouldn't be against a rule like that as an attempt to prevent dangerous levels of dehydration, but at the same time I don't think its really necessary.
 
I think it would be nice if everyone fought at their "natural" or "walking around" weight, but cutting has become a deeply entrenched part of the sport that, in my opinion, reflects a certain level of committment and professionalism.

A fighter that is committed to being the best is going to give himself every advantage within the rules...that means packing on as much muscle as possible with out giving up speed or putting himself in a position where the cut is going to take too big of a toll. A professional athlete (particularly in a sport as physically strenuous as MMA) should have a comprehensive strength/conditioning/nutrition program...the ability to make a large cut and still step in the cage/ring hydrated and able to compete at a high level is indicative, to me, of the kind of professionalism I'd like to see more of in the sport.

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+1, I'd hate to see weight cutting be removed from fighting. It is a part of the sport and it is available for both fighters.
 
+1, I'd hate to see weight cutting be removed from fighting. It is a part of the sport and it is available for both fighters.

I think we must be talking about two different types of weight cutting here. Allow me to provide some examples.

One type is conditioning oneself over several months to get from (for example) football weight to wrestling weight. That is to say one uses conditioning/training/diet to drop pounds to get from "walking around weight" to "fighting weight." To me this is the acceptable method of cutting weight.

The second example is a fighter dropping 20 pounds in one day via sweating out water to make weight and immediately after rehydrating during the time before the fight happens. This method is lethal and should be illegal. I've seen kids crawl naked to the scales using this method. For what? Because it's part of the sport and is available for both fighters? This is why same day weigh-ins should be mandated by law.
 
Crocop is done, but dos Santos shouldn't get too cocky. This is a big win for him, but not as much of a test as if would be if he had fought a competitive Crocop. I wonder what happened to that guy? Sure he's slowed down and it's harder for him to surprise people with brutal head kicks. But he just doesn't have any fire anymore.

Vitor looked good and I'm willing to at least imagine that I can see the effect of training with the Machidas. I'm not a Rich Franklin fan and I'm not sure where he goes from here. It seems like guys like Franklin and Forrest (who I do like) are one prong of the UFC marketing strategy that got a lot of play early on in the new era ("Hey--they're regular white guys, just like us!"), but is falling behind a newer plan ("Bring me giant wrestlers!"). Although it's hard to say what things are going to look like in another week or so, if Vitor gets fast tracked to meet Anderson Silva we might have an interesting, almost Pride-like fight.

I hope that Trigg didn't pay in advance for a year at Extreme Couture. If things are hunky-dory with Zuffa now, maybe we'll see Trigg doing some broadcasts for them? I don't mind Rogan much, but Goldie is insufferable. If WEC gets folded into UFC, I'd like to see them get a couple of interesting broadcast crews going.

Story v. Foster and Lentz v. Oliveira were good fights. They really went all out.

I wouldn't want to be Rob Emerson this morning. That leg is going to be aching. I remember what that feels like on the outside of my thigh--I hate to think what the inside would feel like.
 
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CroCop lost aGAIN? Jeez, I think he's done. Ever since the Gonzaga fight, he's been out of it. I didn't think Vitor was that light. The first time I saw him was when he beat the lunch money out of Tank Abbot. I was glad to see that. I always thought he was heavier than 185.

What ever happened to Kongo? I haven't heard his name in a while.
 
Always being a big Rich Franklin fan, I was rooting for him, but if I were a betting man I would have put my money on Belfort and he did exactly what I thought he would.


What do you guys think about the Kampman stoppage? I did look early to many, many people, but Kampman himself didn't really protest much, normally at an early stoppage, the fighter goes balistic, Martin seemed to spend a while composing himself.
 
I think we must be talking about two different types of weight cutting here. Allow me to provide some examples.

One type is conditioning oneself over several months to get from (for example) football weight to wrestling weight. That is to say one uses conditioning/training/diet to drop pounds to get from "walking around weight" to "fighting weight." To me this is the acceptable method of cutting weight.

The second example is a fighter dropping 20 pounds in one day via sweating out water to make weight and immediately after rehydrating during the time before the fight happens. This method is lethal and should be illegal. I've seen kids crawl naked to the scales using this method. For what? Because it's part of the sport and is available for both fighters? This is why same day weigh-ins should be mandated by law.[/QU

Your second example is what I was refering too.I don't thunk this is right I think your weight should be the same on fight day as the weigh in.If you wanna fight 155lbs for example then you should weigh 155 during the fight not 160,165,170 etc.
 
Always being a big Rich Franklin fan, I was rooting for him, but if I were a betting man I would have put my money on Belfort and he did exactly what I thought he would.


What do you guys think about the Kampman stoppage? I did look early to many, many people, but Kampman himself didn't really protest much, normally at an early stoppage, the fighter goes balistic, Martin seemed to spend a while composing himself.

I wasn't entirely convinced that the "Old Vitor" would show up, but he did. I'm starting to think that maybe he'll live up to his enormous potential after all. Whether he ultimately does or not, I think the middleweight division is badly in need of exciting, athletic fighters who's name's aren't Anderson Silva...I for one am very excited to see Vitor come back with a bang.

As far as Kampmann/Daley...I think it was a fair stoppage. My pro debut was stopped by Herb Dean while I was on my feet, but against the cage and rocked...at the time I was a kinda mad about it, I'll admit. Looking back on it, he made the right call...I was hurt, taking unanswered punches, and not looking like I was going to get back in it anytime soon. As much as I'd like to say I would have recovered and won the fight (I was, without question, up on the scorecards at the time I got caught), I probably wouldn't have. Thats a hard thing for a fighter to admit sometimes...thats why the ref has to trust his gut and make the call.
 
What are your thoughts on cutting weight?

This is something that both wrestlers and boxer (kick boxers etc.) have done for years. It clearly can give a larger man an advantage if he can shed some weight and fight as the larger man in a smaller class. GSP for example could easily fight at 185 but he does it at 170 and is monstrous compared to most. I think historically it is a part of all combat sports. I don't see it going anywhere.

I bet if weigh-ins were on the same day as the fight, folks would be less tempted to cut huge amounts of weight.

I'm sure they would. I can tell you as someone who has done this numerous times it takes a great deal out of you. Many professionals go straight from weigh-ins to the medic for rehydration via an IV.

That's lame, they need to fight... They've already commenced the junk talking and we're only one show in to the TUF season.

On the other hand... There's going to be an A-Team movie and Rampage is BA Baracus??!! :w00t: :w00t:

+1, +1 If they screw up the A-team I'll be pissed! Hopefully Rampage and Rashad will eventually get back to it!

+1, I'd hate to see weight cutting be removed from fighting. It is a part of the sport and it is available for both fighters.

+1

Crocop is done, but dos Santos shouldn't get too cocky. This is a big win for him, but not as much of a test as if would be if he had fought a competitive Crocop. I wonder what happened to that guy? Sure he's slowed down and it's harder for him to surprise people with brutal head kicks. But he just doesn't have any fire anymore. I always found Crocop to be a kind of creepy guy--I imagined him engaging in late-night interrogation sessions and burning villages before he'd jump on a plane to Japan for a Pride tournament. Now what's he doing? Interior decorating in Zagreb?

It really hurts to see Mirko struggle so. He is a legend. He sure is missing a step. He doesn't through nearly the number of kicks he did in the past. Sure this looks good for dos Santos, but it is deceptive. He didn't find Cro-Cop, he fought some slower, less aggressive, more manageable version of Cro-Cop.

Vitor looked good and I'm willing to at least imagine that I can see the effect of training with the Machidas. I'm not a Rich Franklin fan and I'm not sure where he goes from here. It seems like guys like Franklin and Forrest (who I do like) are one prong of the UFC marketing strategy that got a lot of play early on in the new era ("Hey--they're regular white guys, just like us!"), but is falling behind a newer plan ("Bring me giant wrestlers!"). Although it's hard to say what things are going to look like in another week or so, if Vitor gets fast tracked to meet Anderson Silva we might have an interesting, almost Pride-like fight.

Vitor looked good but I'm still not convinced that he is the old Belfort. In fact I've re-watched that fight a few times now and while he clearly rocked Rich while they were standing I think it was the clear blow to the base of the skull that put Rich out, albeit briefly. I like Rich, but he is clearly in a predicament. He needs to be fighting at 185 where he is a big 185 and not at heavier weights. The only problem is he can't get past Silva. Vitor on the other hand, if he still truly and honestly has the accuracy and the speed (which we really didn't see against Franklin) may be the one to topple Silva and hold down that division for a while.

I hope that Trigg didn't pay in advance for a year at Extreme Couture. If things are hunky-dory with Zuffa now, maybe we'll see Trigg doing some broadcasts for them? I don't mind Rogan much, but Goldie is insufferable. If WEC gets folded into UFC, I'd like to see them get a couple of interesting broadcast crews going.

I think Extreme Couture may ultimately be a good thing for Trigg. I've never really like the guy but he is a better than average grappler.

Story v. Foster and Lentz v. Oliveira were good fights. They really went all out.

+1

I wouldn't want to be Rob Emerson this morning. That leg is going to be aching. I remember what that feels like on the outside of my thigh--I hate to think what the inside would feel like.

Oh man, I can sympathize with this one first hand. One of my last fights was against a Muay Thai guy and it didn't seem like I could keep my lead leg away from him. I ultimately won the fight by what I consider the ugliest/most awkward left cross I've ever thrown but I paid for that win for over a week. The next day I'm sure he felt like the winner. I couldn't hardly walk.

CroCop lost aGAIN? Jeez, I think he's done. Ever since the Gonzaga fight, he's been out of it. I didn't think Vitor was that light. The first time I saw him was when he beat the lunch money out of Tank Abbot. I was glad to see that. I always thought he was heavier than 185.

What ever happened to Kongo? I haven't heard his name in a while.

Vitor has fought at 205 and has even weighed in heavier than that. However, I think 185 is perfect for him. He'd almost always be the bigger/faster fighter.

Always being a big Rich Franklin fan, I was rooting for him, but if I were a betting man I would have put my money on Belfort and he did exactly what I thought he would.

I expected Belfort to win, but I honestly thought Rich would hold his own longer.


What do you guys think about the Kampman stoppage? I did look early to many, many people, but Kampman himself didn't really protest much, normally at an early stoppage, the fighter goes balistic, Martin seemed to spend a while composing himself.

I think a split second earlier and it would have been a bad stoppage but a split second later it may have looked like the ref wasn't looking out for the fighters well being. Kampan was upset but he clearly had to gather his thoughts before what little questioning/protest their was. In reality that might have been as close to a perfectly timed stoppage as there has ever been.

I wasn't entirely convinced that the "Old Vitor" would show up, but he did. I'm starting to think that maybe he'll live up to his enormous potential after all. Whether he ultimately does or not, I think the middleweight division is badly in need of exciting, athletic fighters who's name's aren't Anderson Silva...I for one am very excited to see Vitor come back with a bang.

I'm still not convinced that we saw he old Vitor (a la the vs. Wanderlei fight) but he did look good.

As far as Kampmann/Daley...I think it was a fair stoppage. My pro debut was stopped by Herb Dean while I was on my feet, but against the cage and rocked...at the time I was a kinda mad about it, I'll admit. Looking back on it, he made the right call...I was hurt, taking unanswered punches, and not looking like I was going to get back in it anytime soon. As much as I'd like to say I would have recovered and won the fight (I was, without question, up on the scorecards at the time I got caught), I probably wouldn't have. Thats a hard thing for a fighter to admit sometimes...thats why the ref has to trust his gut and make the call.

+1
 
Jeez, poor Sokoudjou. Bob Sapp has long ago embraced his status as Resident Freak, but I feel sorry for Sokoudjou falling down the same hole. The last time I saw Sokoudjou on a Japanese promotion was, I think, one of the Dream events broadcast on HD-NET. I guess that Bas and his guys were doing the English commentary over the Japanese stuff, but the pre-fight video about Sokoudjou stopped me dead. There was a shot of him up in a tree in Africa while the Japanese announcer was talking (in Japanese) about how tough he was. He concluded by saying that Sokoudjou is probably crazy about bananas too. More than cringeworthy.
 
I think we must be talking about two different types of weight cutting here. Allow me to provide some examples.

One type is conditioning oneself over several months to get from (for example) football weight to wrestling weight. That is to say one uses conditioning/training/diet to drop pounds to get from "walking around weight" to "fighting weight." To me this is the acceptable method of cutting weight.

The second example is a fighter dropping 20 pounds in one day via sweating out water to make weight and immediately after rehydrating during the time before the fight happens. This method is lethal and should be illegal. I've seen kids crawl naked to the scales using this method. For what? Because it's part of the sport and is available for both fighters? This is why same day weigh-ins should be mandated by law.

I think weight-cutting is part of the sport and another discipline these guys need to master. For those that do it well, it has really no effect on them, for those that don't do it well, they don't always make weight and are typically spent before the first round is done. I can agree to a fight-day weigh-in of 15 lbs heavier or so just to keep the cuts reasonable. As far as kids go, I wrestled in high school and was forced to wrestle 2 weight classes down so that I wouldn't unseat either of the 2 seniors at those weights. The reult was I had to lose good chunks of weight before every fight and felt like absolute crap during every fight. I had no energy, I couldn't eat and I was weak during the matches. I've even seen numerous wrestlers throwing up to make weight. I can't even count how many times I had to have people towel me down naked before I stepped on the scale to weigh-in. For adults I think these weight cuts are ok, but having gone through it I think it's too much for kids to go through.
 
Did anyone else hear Bob Arum's ignorant and racist remarks about MMA and its fans? I understand his feeling threatened by the sport, but he took it to an unnecessary level with his comments. I will look for a link as soon as I can.
 
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