To weight cut or not to weight cut?

So after all the chaos that threatened to turn UFC 206 in to one of the more unfortunate cards of the year, things ended up working out pretty well. The main event was exciting, the two bouts before it packed with action and all in all the event ended up being truly memorable. But despite that there was a shadow looming over this event. It was far from perfect in terms of “professionalism” as a number of fighters missed weight. Though it’s something to be scrutinized, you have to wonder how this weight cutting issue is going to be fixed.

While it may have been an exciting match up while it lasted, Max Holloway’s bout with Anthoiny Pettis was somewhat frustrating simply for the fact that the former lightweight champion missed weight and therefore lowered the stakes of the match up by half. But thought we can point the finger at Pettis, as well as Rustam Khabilov and Valerie Letourneau, the truth of the matter is that the sport forced their hands.

The idea that individuals don’t fight at their walk around weight is somewhat ludicrous. While boxing may have too many weight classes it does mitigate things to an extent. You get to see match ups with individuals who are far closer to their natural weight because of that fact. A guy like Pettis who probably walks around at about 165-170 lbs shouldn’t have to be forced to cut weight to 145 lbs just to avoid the monsters in the lightweight division who sometimes cut from upwards of 185 lbs.

It’s a crazy dance that their forced to participate in, but it’s a path they’ve chosen. Professionalism does matter most no matter what endeavor you choose, but it’s hard to criticize a person who is willing to throw their bones at another human being for the entertainment of others. Here’s hoping all the fighters who missed weight either find the best way to make cut or the right division to accommodate their frames.

What was your thoughts on the weight blunders at UFC 206?

Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.