New Weight Classes on The Horizon as ABC adopts 165, 175, 195, and 225: How Will This Impact The UFC

By: Steven Marrocco

Source

The Association of Boxing Commissions today voted unanimously to add four new weight classes to the unified rules of MMA, increasing to 13 the number of recognized divisions in the sport.

The new weight classes include:

• 165 pounds (super lightweight)
• 175 pounds (super welterweight)
• 195 pounds (super middleweight)
• 225 pounds (cruiserweight)

The process wasn’t completely smooth sailing. A rep from the New York State Athletic Commission initially expressed reservations about the additions, saying they needed more time to be vetted. ABC Chairman Mike Mazzulli presented a motion to strike the cruiserweight class from the list. Commissioners also expressed concern about large discrepancies – or the “spread” – within the weight classes. In turn, the ABC rules committee agreed to examine the issue for next year’s meeting.

The authors of the rule change stressed that promoters are not required to use the weight divisions – and may never. ABC rules and regulations committee chairperson Sean Wheelock today told MMAjunkie the new divisions are “absolutely not” meant to dilute the talent pool and remake MMA into something more resembling boxing.

But the hope, according to ABC’s medical chair Andy Foster, is that more divisions will keep fighters from cutting extreme amounts of weight to fit into the divisions currently popular in the sport.

Foster, the California State Athletic Commission’s executive director and a leader in weight-cutting reform, pressed members that the dehydration of MMA fighters is the sport’s biggest issue. He said that while the CSAC could on its own implement a 10-point plan to curb excessive weight loss, the new divisions are critical to the sport’s regulation among ABC member commissions.

Foster said the new divisions might not make a huge impact initially. He admitted UFC reps already have expressed concern at the elimination of the welterweight class. But he said as fighters migrate to the new divisions or begin their careers there, promoters could shift to accommodate the demand.

“If you’ve got a bunch of fighters at 170 and this body eliminates (the welterweight class), that’s a terrible business idea,” he said. “But they understand the problem with dehydration. I know the UFC is not going to open 175 this afternoon. But it sets it up for the future.”

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Well who didn't see this coming.  I'm not completely opposed to these new weight classes, but it throws a lot of things out of wack. Primarily the future of Welterweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight with more focus on the latter two.  I mean talent is thin enough as it is at those two divisions and now they are going to make it even thinner?  Also, why not expand Heavyweight to be open ended or at least up to a 300 pound cap if this is going to be the new norm?

Anyways, thoughts?

"ABC rules and regulations committee chairperson Sean Wheelock"  

Really?Never thought of him as someone that would be right for that kind of position.

It's all a moot point if organizations don't choose to use this system so i'll give more of a **** after I hear other plans.Either way with the new re-weigh in the next day (you can miss and still fight but need to move up after iirc or after 2X) and the dehydration tests are going to lead to a ton of last minute cancellations.

165 would see a ton of 170'ers cutting even more weight to get there(or trying to really change their body in probably not the most healthy way aka starving negatively effecting their training camp/energy) and some 185'ers going to 175 and I do think the additional weight classes could help a lot of guys but thinking it'll fix everything is way off.

Keeping your weight down right up to fight day isn't healthy either.Fighters should be able to make weight and not have to starve themselves right up to almost fight time.Guys are going to re hydrate so they can pass the hydration test and simply not eat in order to make the weight the next day and pass the hydration test.

I'm sounding a little negative about this but I do think it's a pretty good idea and I like it but at the same time I know there's still going to be huge issues and I believe we'll see a ton of last minute cancellations.You can miss weight on the re weigh in and they let you fight (but move up after 2 fails or once bad I assume) but if you fail the hydration test right before the fight I doubt they will let you fight because that means your brain isn't re hydrated,is smaller than normal leaving space around it and not being fit snug in the skull allowing it to smash into your skull harder with impact.That's the most dangerous let alone all the other complications dehydration brings to the table.

If they make these standards and say a fighter is forced to move up are they actually going to stick to this or is it going to turn into a big game?Are all state commissions going to go with this or just some aka fighters calling injuries or saying they simply can't fight on an event simply because they don't want to go through all that testing knowing they cut a lot and might run into problems.

Personally I like the potential new weight classes and having wrestled for over 10 years it's my belief that weight cutting is just part of some sports and I have never really seen any "fixes" for it without bringing up more or other big complications.If I could pick how it works I would say if you miss weight twice you're simply forced to move up in weight.I think over the last few years we have seen a lot more fighters moving up in weight on their own realizing that they perform much better without cutting so much so I do think things were sort of working themselves out even if it's just a little.

@GreenHornet as far as 195-225 the UFC would simply have to do a better job of picking up fighters for those classes but that's something they should have started doing a few years ago so who knows.There's tons of talent out their and I could literally make a list of 10 fighters for each of those three divisions that could hang in the UFC and some that could make big waves.Of course HW could pose some problems for picking up really good talent.So they could for sure fill up those divisions with talent but whether they would do that is obviously questionable.As far as the 265 limit I have the same exact feelings,in fact I don't think there should be any limit especially with the addition of 225 but 300 lb's I guess would be a lot better than 265.

Another thing I see people talk about is some fighters walk around weight and not end of camp weight.Some people's weight falls off much easier than others and some guys weights fluctuate like crazy not simply cause they are eating double cheeseburgers but it's because it's just how their body is.Like Anderson Silva for example,he'll go up to 215'ish and just by training hard he drops a ton.I have seen him at 192 two weeks out from a fight coming down from 215 just from training hard.Then there is fighters that almost always stay the same weight in or out of camp.So weighing people way out from their fights don't exactly show someone's "natural" weight because everyone's body is different.

It's cool that they are working to make improvements with the system and I hope they do improve it,I just think adding in all these stipulations and tests are just going to complicate things and lead to a lot of last minute cancellations.

Most your 170 guys will jus go to 175 with the inbetweeners like cowboy, masvidal, and means maybe moving to 165. That's if UFC adopts the weightclasses at all.

We will see how that 10 point system works in the next few days as it is in effect for Cormier v Jones 2. I'm interested to see if they will advertise day of fight weight. I want to know what Cyborg comes in the ring at.

I think the changes are good in the long run though a 225 weightclass isnt really necessary.

I think that's a short sighted opinion from someone that's probably never cut weight in their life.

I usually agree with your posts and I don't disagree i'm just saying it's just not that easy.Thinking the masvidal's of the world and everyone just finds a better weight is ridiculous.It gives more opportunities for the WW's to simply cut just 5 more pounds.It opens up a ton of problems too,with guys at 170 trying to make 165 and guys at 185 trying to make 175 etc.Time will show that in the long run it also gives some guys an opportunity to drop a class the same way it gives guys to go up a class.It's a quick patch for something that can't just be fixed.I like the push to work things out but thinking it's a solid solution is dumb.It still going to be a mess.

I am really interested in seeing day of weights like most boxing orgs/commissions did/do but we'll see.I just don't see how people don't realize this also brings a lot of potential problems.

* Edited at 07.27.2017, 4:40 AM ET *

The boxing weightclasses woild be over doing it and most people are for keeping things the way they are becaise change brings uncertainty.  Losing 170 and gaining 165 and 175 would help taking two really stacked divisions and making 3 stacked divisions.

I think there are a good chunk of fighters who fight at WW who couldn't cut an extra five if they wanted to. If the whole system is in play they cant weigh more than 181.5 at fight time and fight at 165 so guys who are closer to 190 won't be licensed to fight any lower than 175. It's about giving fighters more options and safer options. It's about educating fighters to stop killing themselves for a minuscule advantage. It's just a dedication from the commissions to make things as safe as possible. In the short term it will be a mess, fights may get cancelled, there may be a learning curve but in the long run it will be for the best and eventually fighterd will get in line.

We already saw Barão get denied to fight at 135 and it was moved to 140 lbs.

There are 17 in boxing so lets hope it never comes to that.

Super middleweight and Cruiserweight are terrible ideas. Specifically Cruiserweight why would you make the two weakest divisions even weaker? 

Watching fighter health and whether they make weight during weight cuts is a lot more likely to help than adding more divisions, and is less likely to ruin any current weight classes too.