The days of fighters cutting enormous amounts of weight prior to weigh-ins will soon be a thing of the past. The Ultimate Fighting Championship will be implementing a new weight cutting policy starting at UFC 200 fight week in July.
Under the new guidelines, fighters must check in during fight week, which is typically Tuesday for a Saturday event, within 8 percent of their target weight. Fighters that check in above the 8 percent threshold will be subject to daily monitoring of their weight and vitals and will be required to attend weight management counseling before their next fight.
“The only hard and fast rule in there, and I think it’s probably the most important thing in terms of the guidelines, is that 8 percent number,” Jeff Novitzky, the UFC vice president of athlete health and performance, told the Las Vegas ***************. “If they’re not, it’s not in the rules the fight won’t happen, but we sure are going to pay very close attention to them, including taking daily weight, daily vitals, and as it progresses, if they show signs of being dehydrated, they will be pulled from the fight.”
In October, the use of IVs to rehydrate was banned under the UFC's anti-dopiing policies and has had a positive effect on dramatic weight cutting.
“It had a very surprising side effect in that it helped curtail extreme weight cuts,” said Novitzky. “You also see a whole bunch of fighters employing the services of nutritionists, so they are being smart about managing their weight. And the UFC is trying to provide as much as we can for the fighters that can’t afford a nutritionist. We’ve consulted with experts who have told us, ‘Hey, here’s the optimal things you want to be eating or drinking 24 hours before your fight, after the weigh in.’ So we provide that for the fighters.”
Providing fighters with drinks and snacks was implemented during UFC 196 in March. The organization provides a fight-room following weigh-ins and on event nights that have a selection of drinks and food. Prior to 196, fighters were only allowed to have sealed bottles of water in the locker room.
“That’s a brand new thing the fighters are just loving,” Novitzky said. “To my understanding, that had never been done. The only thing previously that was allowed in the locker room was sealed bottled water. Again, talking with experts and people in other sports, there was no other sport where an athlete wouldn’t be allowed to consume beverages and eat things leading right up to the competition.”
Drastic weight cuts can be detrimental to a fighter's longterm health, and there's been at least one documented case of a fighter dying as a result of weight cutting. The new policy has fighter safety in mind.
Under the new guidelines, fighters must check in during fight week, which is typically Tuesday for a Saturday event, within 8 percent of their target weight. Fighters that check in above the 8 percent threshold will be subject to daily monitoring of their weight and vitals and will be required to attend weight management counseling before their next fight.
“The only hard and fast rule in there, and I think it’s probably the most important thing in terms of the guidelines, is that 8 percent number,” Jeff Novitzky, the UFC vice president of athlete health and performance, told the Las Vegas ***************. “If they’re not, it’s not in the rules the fight won’t happen, but we sure are going to pay very close attention to them, including taking daily weight, daily vitals, and as it progresses, if they show signs of being dehydrated, they will be pulled from the fight.”
In October, the use of IVs to rehydrate was banned under the UFC's anti-dopiing policies and has had a positive effect on dramatic weight cutting.
“It had a very surprising side effect in that it helped curtail extreme weight cuts,” said Novitzky. “You also see a whole bunch of fighters employing the services of nutritionists, so they are being smart about managing their weight. And the UFC is trying to provide as much as we can for the fighters that can’t afford a nutritionist. We’ve consulted with experts who have told us, ‘Hey, here’s the optimal things you want to be eating or drinking 24 hours before your fight, after the weigh in.’ So we provide that for the fighters.”
Providing fighters with drinks and snacks was implemented during UFC 196 in March. The organization provides a fight-room following weigh-ins and on event nights that have a selection of drinks and food. Prior to 196, fighters were only allowed to have sealed bottles of water in the locker room.
“That’s a brand new thing the fighters are just loving,” Novitzky said. “To my understanding, that had never been done. The only thing previously that was allowed in the locker room was sealed bottled water. Again, talking with experts and people in other sports, there was no other sport where an athlete wouldn’t be allowed to consume beverages and eat things leading right up to the competition.”
Drastic weight cuts can be detrimental to a fighter's longterm health, and there's been at least one documented case of a fighter dying as a result of weight cutting. The new policy has fighter safety in mind.
