Why is Lightweight the lightest in the UFC?

BobbyOLeary

Hi guys,

I'm sure this has been answered before but it was bugging me today for some reason. Why is the lightweight class (145-155lb) the lightest available? Just curious as theres a lot of Irish MMA fighters who are too light for that weight seeing as most guys will be 3-10kg heavier stepping into the cage than on the weigh in day.

Any ideas?

Dragan

BobbyOLeary wrote: »

Hi guys,

I'm sure this has been answered before but it was bugging me today for some reason. Why is the lightweight class (145-155lb) the lightest available? Just curious as theres a lot of Irish MMA fighters who are too light for that weight seeing as most guys will be 3-10kg heavier stepping into the cage than on the weigh in day.

Any ideas?

Could be a million reasons but would predominantly be that when the UFC weightclasses were divised it would have been done around existing talent.

At the time an Irish fighter who actively fought and trained in Ireland would have been a long and far off dream ( recently acheived it should be noted by Tom Egan, so fair balls to him! )

Derek Coleman

I'd say that's a simple question to answer - Because they have them in the WEC.

Remember that ZUFFA own UFC and WEC. There is no point having two companies with the same weight divisions which could lead to two weak divisions split over two companies as opposed to having one strong division in one company. WEC focuses on the lighter divisions and UFC has the heavy guys.

WEC will dissolve their Light heavyweight and Middleweight divisions at the end of this year. So the set ups will look like this:

WEC
Bantamweight
Featherweight
Lightweight
Welterweight

UFC
Lightweight
Welterweight
Middleweight
Lightheavyweight
Heavyweight

You might say "Then why don't they get rid of the lightweight and welterweight" but I'd guess that their is so much talent out there at this weight that it wouldn't make sense to cram it all into one company.

Just my thoughts anyway!!

cowzerp

lighter weight fights tend to have more decisions and in this age young people are impatient and want the fast fight, quick ko's etc..i believe this is a big part of the reason

BobbyOLeary

in this age young people are impatient

Haha, never expected the social commentary to come from you Cowzerp! I agree with you that there'd be less KOs but there'd be more all-out brawls, something that seems to be popular with the crowds these days.

Clive

BobbyOLeary wrote: »

Hi guys,

I'm sure this has been answered before but it was bugging me today for some reason. Why is the lightweight class (145-155lb) the lightest available? Just curious as theres a lot of Irish MMA fighters who are too light for that weight seeing as most guys will be 3-10kg heavier stepping into the cage than on the weigh in day.

Any ideas?

Because grown men can't really be any smaller.

*Waits for Owen Roddy to knee the bejeebus out of me* :eek:

Derek Coleman

Ha. Young people these days!!:)

I understand what you mean about the KO's in the heavier divisions but I don't think the UFC thinks like that. And I think that statement applies more to boxing when there's 10 or 12 rounds.

In an MMA fight with all the possible finishing methods I don't think Heavyweight matches would average less minutes than a Lightweight fight. But yes they would probably finish in more knock outs.

Colm_OReilly

lighter weight fights tend to have more decisions

Do you have stats to back that up?

Also, is there any evidence (polls by fan forums for example) to suggest that fans prefer wins to decisions?

Roper

Dragan wrote: »

At the time an Irish fighter who actively fought and trained in Ireland would have been a long and far off dream ( recently acheived it should be noted by Tom Egan, so fair balls to him! )

Stevie Lynch, Colin Robinson!

cowzerp

Colm_OReilly wrote: »

Do you have stats to back that up?

Also, is there any evidence (polls by fan forums for example) to suggest that fans prefer wins to decisions?

I'm basing it on general society that wants everything now and dont want to wait for anything, i prefer the faster skills of the lighter weights and appreciate the technical battles, stats? I'll leave that too you, i'm basing it on what i see and most people will agree with that assertion. On a submissions side maybe there faster, i dont know, i'm talking about ko's! Anyway thats 1 of the reasons that the prizefighter series of boxing is so popular of late, fast and less emphasis on skill as there going for the quick win. It suits the fast pace of living these days. Anyway thats my opinion.

Derek Coleman

Look what you started Bobby. :rolleyes:

This is just my opinion as an MMA fan and is not meant to discredit anyone elses opinion.....

Last years fight of the year on UFC.com? Huerta v Guida.

I know casual fans get bored easily with MMA fights if its on the ground but if ANYONE watched Tyson Griffin v Sean Sherk just recently they would not have wanted it to end. That fight was amazing on the feet. I wish that was a 5 rounder.

Give me two fit Heavyweights who can last 3 rounds at a steady pace and I'll put it on par with any division but for the quantity of action and quality of Mixed Martial Arts I'll pick the Lightweight Division over it any day.

Bit off topic of the original question.

So lets hope some channel does a deal to show WEC over here and we'll all be happy ay.:cool:

Fozzy

Derek Coleman wrote: »

I'd say that's a simple question to answer - Because they have them in the WEC.

That's not the answer, the UFC didn't have lighter weight classes in the five years before they bought WEC

They started off with just the heavyweight title as that was where their main talent was at the time. Then they added titles as there became more need for them. They never had a need for a featherweight title with the fighters they had under contract

There's got to be an element of not wanting to water down the titles as well. There's five titles currently and they all mean something. Adding more could make it harder for the casual fan to keep track of all the champions, making them seem less important as there are so many of them

And more titles at this stage would mean having to get more fighters, which isn't something that they want to do after cutting a load of guys earlier this year

cowzerp wrote: »

stats? I'll leave that too you, i'm basing it on what i see and most people will agree with that assertion.

I'd disagree with that. I've seen plenty of KOs in fights under lightweight. Nothing out of the ordinary with regards to the number of decisions. Anyway, a feather/bantamweight decision is usually more exciting than a lightheavy/heavyweight decision

Derek Coleman

Fozzy wrote: »

They started off with just the heavyweight title as that was where their main talent was at the time. Then they added titles as there became more need for them. They never had a need for a featherweight title with the fighters they had under contract.

I agree with you there. But If they didn't own the WEC I'd say they would have introduced lighter divisions by now. But yeah originally they just didn't need them. Sure the Lightweight division was shelved for a while!!

Maldini2706

Dana said the reason they cut out the lightweight division way back when was they did less shows and didn't really have room for them on the cards. I'd say the only way we'll see featherweights and bantamweights in the UFC is if they dramatically increase the amount of shows they do. Personally I think they really have to add them, when you consider the biggest boxing match in the last 5 years took place between two guys who weighed less than 145 the argument that people don't want to watch smaller guys loses credibility.

cowzerp

Maldini2706 wrote: »

Personally I think they really have to add them, when you consider the biggest boxing match in the last 5 years took place between two guys who weighed less than 145 the argument that people don't want to watch smaller guys loses credibility.

I totally prefer to see the smaller guys, all out wars most of the time, but its the new young fans that think the fights are all about quick knockouts and dont appreciate the technical aspects of longer fights..bring in the small weights..