UFC Weight Classes Explained
At first sight, UFC weight classes and the way they work might look complex at first sight. Although one of the roles of weight classes is to help the fans navigate through the roster, it can often create even more confusion. But in reality, it’s not that hard to understand how UFC weight classes work.
How do UFC weight classes work?
UFC has 12 weight classes in total, out of which 8 are for men, and 4 are for women fighters. Each UFC fighter chooses a weight class where they fight against opponents similar in size and weight. They can also move up and down in weight to fight in different weight classes throughout their careers.
Keep reading this article to find out more about UFC weight classes and how they work.
Why does UFC has weight classes?
There are two main reasons why UFC has weight classes and the first one is safety. There are no words to describe how dangerous it is to match a 135 lbs fighter against a 205 lbs opponent. A smaller fighter has little to no chance to win this fight. And at the same time, the risk of bad injuries is really high. Weight classes are there to make sure that both fighters are similar in size. On fight night, their weight may vary, but not by a large margin.
The second reason is that weight classes keep the competition fair. Fighters who are big in size and weigh in at 200+ pounds have a huge advantage over smaller fighters. They have longer limbs, higher reach, and can generate more force when striking, grappling, or fighting on the ground.
In some way, we already know the outcome of this type of matchup. Back in the days of PRIDE, we saw many freaks shows thanks to their open weight division. These shows were exciting to watch once or twice, but they quickly became boring.
When fighters are similar in weight and size, it gets more exciting, dramatic, and harder to predict the outcome.
How many UFC divisions there are in the UFC?
UFC has 12 weight classes in total out of which 8 weight classes are for male fighters, and 4 weight classes are for female fighters. They range from 115lbs to 265lbs, and the difference in weight between the classes varies from 10–20 pounds. The only exception is the gap between light heavyweight (205 lbs) and heavyweight (265 lbs), which is 60 pounds.
UFC weight classes for men
UFC weight classes for women
When did the UFC introduce weight classes?
UFC weight classes were first introduced in 1997 at the memorable UFC 12 event. For the first time in history, the UFC split its fighters into a lightweight (under 200 lbs) and heavyweight (over 200 lbs). This event also marks the birth of the first UFC champion, Mark Coleman. He won the inaugural title by beating the great Dan Severn in the first round.
Before 1997 and UFC 12, the UFC events were open weight tournaments. Back in the day, the UFC didn’t have weight classes which is a reason why these were the wildest times in sports history. We saw fighters fighting without gloves and without any time limits, which was crazy. This led to many brutal beatdowns that were too much even for the fans of combat sports. In order to grow further, the UFC needed to fix this issue and they needed to do that fast.
The first step they took to make the sport safer and regulated was to create weight classes. This moment is huge in sports history because, in the eyes of many fans, it marks the beginning of MMA as a true sport.
What happens when the UFC fighter misses weight?
In this day and age, we can see fighters missing weight all the time. If they came in overweight on weighing ins, then it’s up to their opponent to decide what is going to happen. In most cases, the opponent would accept the fight and get 20% of the purse from a fighter who missed weight. And if there is a title on the line, a fighter who missed weight can’t become a champion. You must hit the scale if you want to win the crown.
This opens up a question, why would a fighter accept the fight against the opponent who missed weight?
Well, there are many reasons why. The first one is money as a fighter who misses weight has to give you 20% of their purse as a punishment. This may not sound like much at first but bear in mind that some fighters earn millions of dollars per fight. 20% of their purse can change your life. The other reason is, missing weight indicates that a fighter struggled a lot during the weight cut. This may impact the way they perform on fight night, notably the cardio.
In some way, accepting a fight against the opponent who has missed weight can occasionally be a win-win situation. It’s not professional, but at the same time, it’s worth the risk for some fighters.
Why the UFC weight divisions are split by weight and not by height?
The UFC weight classes are not split by height because that doesn’t give you a big advantage in a fight like weight does. This may sound odd at first, but, bear in mind that not all fighters know how to use height and reach advantage. In fact, it can often go against you in a fight. But on the other side, weight is a natural advantage in every aspect of the MMA game.
Having more weight means that, above all, you can generate more power in every strike. Unlike height, it plays the biggest role in how much you are going to hurt the opponent or knock them out. If the fight hits the ground, more weight means that you can put more pressure on your opponent and land harder punches from the top position. Weight directly impacts the outcome of the fight.
Over the years, there have been many fighters who were tall and had high reach but would often lose against lower fighters who had more weight. The best instances are Mark Hunt and Daniel Cormier, who both fought under height and reach disadvantage their entire careers. But they always carried a lot of weight, which combined with mobility, allowed them to make up for the lack in height and reach.
Why do UFC fighters miss weight so often?
In this day and age, we can see UFC fighters missing weight in just about every single event. Although this is frustrating, notably when it comes to popular matchups, it is a part of the game and we all got used to it to some extend. But, why do so many UFC fighters miss weight? The answer is a mix of the problems within the structure of weight classes, weighing-ins, and fighters themselves.
First of all, the weight gap between the divisions is too big. For instance, the gap between light heavyweight and middleweight is 20 pounds, which is a lot. As a result, many UFC fighters have to suffer a lot to cut that much weight. Some fighters have the ability to cut more weight than others, but even for them, this gap is too big.
The other issues are the fighters and their mindset. The truth is, fighters who can cut a lot of weight can enjoy a huge advantage. As pro athletes, their goal is to always push further and cut as much weight as they can. No matter if we have twice as many weight classes, they would still cut the same amount of weight.
