The UFC's top nutritionist explains four lessons you can learn from pre-fight weight cutting—where fighters lose and then gain back up to 20 pounds in 5 days.
Its amazing how far the science in weight cutting has come. I used to cut from ~205 down to 185 to compete and be right around 200 again come fight day. The sodium and fiber are two things a lot of guy still miss in the process. Couldn't tell you how many guys eat a big spinach salad thinking they're eating healthy only for their body to retain all that water and make cutting way more difficult.
The incremental refueling process is huge as well. Many people eat too much way to soon and their system just can't handle it.
Many of the fights (out west at least) happen at casinos where they open up the buffet to the fighters after weigh ins.... you've never seen a buffet get torn apart until you see 40 ravenous dudes that just finished a weight cut tear into it!
It’s fascinating to see how far the science of cutting weight has come. In the 1990s I had to cut weight for rowing. These practices would have made life much more bearable!
Thanks for sharing! Fantastic info. I was a competitive athlete and coach for many years, but I have been out of the loop for some time—I’m so pleased to see the advancements in the study of women’s physiology related to sports.
120 hrs prior - reduce water to *8 liters*? That's still over 2 gallons. How much are these fighters drinking normally?! I try to be deliberate about my hydration, but a good day is just 4 or 5 liters, still significantly more than the general RDA.
Perhaps someone who's more versed in the sport can explain what's the benefit of having the weigh in be so far removed from the fight - almost 48h? As far as I know, in Olympic wrestling, weigh ins are the morning of the day when the matches happen. There surely is a lot of water manipulation there too to make weight, but I doubt it's to the same extreme levels as in the UFC.
I know the UFC used to have same-day weigh ins. I'd have to ask Tyler why they changed it. I do know that performance is more likely to suffer if you do same-day weigh ins.
The main reason for the 24-hour weigh-in window in combat sports like the UFC, as opposed to same-day weigh-ins like in Olympic wrestling, is to allow fighters more time to rehydrate and recover after cutting weight. Extreme weight cutting can be dangerous, leading to dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and decreased performance.
By giving fighters more time to recover, promoters aim to reduce the health risks associated with rapid weight loss. However, this practice has also led to a culture of extreme weight cutting, as fighters may deplete themselves to make weight, knowing they have time to recover before the fight.
In Olympic wrestling, same-day weigh-ins are used to discourage extreme weight cutting and promote a healthier approach to weight management. Each approach has its pros and cons, and there are ongoing debates within the combat sports community about the best practices for weigh-ins.
This always seemed nuts to me. For UFC and boxing to have fighters weigh in at X weight and then come fight night be a weight class or two heavier rather than just fight at their natural weight. I understand you carry power down with you and not up but always seemed like an unfair advantage to me if one fighter walks around at 220 and weighs in at 205 for the weigh in, but then is closer to 220 on fight night when their opponent is naturally closer to 205.
I think fighters are just trying to get an edge. Both fighters can choose or choose not to cut, so the decisions around cutting are just part of the overall strategy, it seems.
100%. I’m old enough to remember when fighters weighed in morning of the fight :) I totally understand that it changed because of fighter safety. Just seeing such disparity in fight weight seems nuts.
Its amazing how far the science in weight cutting has come. I used to cut from ~205 down to 185 to compete and be right around 200 again come fight day. The sodium and fiber are two things a lot of guy still miss in the process. Couldn't tell you how many guys eat a big spinach salad thinking they're eating healthy only for their body to retain all that water and make cutting way more difficult.
The incremental refueling process is huge as well. Many people eat too much way to soon and their system just can't handle it.
Many of the fights (out west at least) happen at casinos where they open up the buffet to the fighters after weigh ins.... you've never seen a buffet get torn apart until you see 40 ravenous dudes that just finished a weight cut tear into it!
The casino story is amazing lol.
It’s fascinating to see how far the science of cutting weight has come. In the 1990s I had to cut weight for rowing. These practices would have made life much more bearable!
That reminds me of this post: https://www.twopct.com/p/6-fitness-tips-from-new-research
(The anecdote about the New Zealand rowing team)
Thanks for sharing! Fantastic info. I was a competitive athlete and coach for many years, but I have been out of the loop for some time—I’m so pleased to see the advancements in the study of women’s physiology related to sports.
Find point A. Trust the process.
Amen.
120 hrs prior - reduce water to *8 liters*? That's still over 2 gallons. How much are these fighters drinking normally?! I try to be deliberate about my hydration, but a good day is just 4 or 5 liters, still significantly more than the general RDA.
Perhaps someone who's more versed in the sport can explain what's the benefit of having the weigh in be so far removed from the fight - almost 48h? As far as I know, in Olympic wrestling, weigh ins are the morning of the day when the matches happen. There surely is a lot of water manipulation there too to make weight, but I doubt it's to the same extreme levels as in the UFC.
I know the UFC used to have same-day weigh ins. I'd have to ask Tyler why they changed it. I do know that performance is more likely to suffer if you do same-day weigh ins.
The main reason for the 24-hour weigh-in window in combat sports like the UFC, as opposed to same-day weigh-ins like in Olympic wrestling, is to allow fighters more time to rehydrate and recover after cutting weight. Extreme weight cutting can be dangerous, leading to dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and decreased performance.
By giving fighters more time to recover, promoters aim to reduce the health risks associated with rapid weight loss. However, this practice has also led to a culture of extreme weight cutting, as fighters may deplete themselves to make weight, knowing they have time to recover before the fight.
In Olympic wrestling, same-day weigh-ins are used to discourage extreme weight cutting and promote a healthier approach to weight management. Each approach has its pros and cons, and there are ongoing debates within the combat sports community about the best practices for weigh-ins.
This always seemed nuts to me. For UFC and boxing to have fighters weigh in at X weight and then come fight night be a weight class or two heavier rather than just fight at their natural weight. I understand you carry power down with you and not up but always seemed like an unfair advantage to me if one fighter walks around at 220 and weighs in at 205 for the weigh in, but then is closer to 220 on fight night when their opponent is naturally closer to 205.
I think fighters are just trying to get an edge. Both fighters can choose or choose not to cut, so the decisions around cutting are just part of the overall strategy, it seems.
100%. I’m old enough to remember when fighters weighed in morning of the fight :) I totally understand that it changed because of fighter safety. Just seeing such disparity in fight weight seems nuts.