Weight divisions in ufc

In mixed martial arts, athletes compete in weight classes where they must weigh in at or around a specific weight the day before their fight at the UFC official weigh-ins. The UFC currently has 12 weight classes, all that require fighters to weigh in under a desired limit. Generally, fighters try to weigh in at the exact limit so they can lose the least amount of weight during the weight cutting process while still meeting the required number on the scale, weight divisions in ufc. Failure to reach the required weight results in either the athlete forfeiting a percentage of their fight purse to their opponent, an agreement between the two athletes to compete at a kijiji windsor on class specific weight catchweight or having the weight divisions in ufc cancelled altogether.

The UFC began in with fighters of all sizes competing against each other. Four years later, UFC 12 introduced weight classes: heavyweight, for fighters pounds and above, and lightweight, for those pounds and under. That night in Dothan, Alabama, Mark Coleman needed less than three minutes to defeat Dan Severn by a neck crank to becomes the promotion's first heavyweight champion -- its first champion, period. Today, there 12 weight divisions in the UFC -- eight for men, four for women. Below are the current UFC champions in each weight division. Skip to main content Skip to navigation.

Weight divisions in ufc

The UFC, like many martial arts and combat sports, includes a number of weight classifications known as divisions. We won't discuss all of the categories because it would be pointless; instead, we'll provide them to you in points, which should be self-explanatory:. The major goal of UFC weight classes is to level the playing field and allow opponents who are reasonably similar to face one other without having a noticeable advantage. The first weight divisions in the UFC were launched in If a fighter fails to make weight for a title bout, they will be ineligible to win the UFC belt at stake even if they win the fight. UFC divisions are divided by weight to ensure that competitors are matched up against similar opponents. A discrepancy in weight or total size would give the bigger competitor an unfair edge. It will also raise the possibilities of a boxer with a smaller frame suffering serious injuries. Weight classes reduce this difference, ensuring that only a fighter's ability is used to determine the winner. It also ensures that a highly skilled fighter, regardless of size, can become a champion.

Rousey set about consolidating her dominance with a series of breathtaking title defenses, weight divisions in ufc. It is fair to say the division has brought out some heavy-hitting fight nights in its time, including the likes of Chuck Liddell, Tito Ortiz, Quinton Jackson and Daniel Cormier. Another lesson that we can weight divisions in ufc from the history of the featherweight division is the importance of recognizing when a fighter has passed their peak, or age is catching up with them.

When you sign-up through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Discover the best sites for betting on UFC matches:. Just like boxing , UFC is divided into different weight classes. Understanding these weight classes and which fighters compete in them is essential before you begin to bet on UFC. Fighting within a weight class means that a fair fight in physical terms at least is guaranteed, and the winner will be determined by the skill of the fighter as opposed any significant physical size advantage. The history of the weight class, notable fighters from the past and present, and the current champion.

Weight classes are an important part of combat sports. They ensure a fair contest and allow for smaller competitors to compete for world titles. But how many weight classes are there in the UFC and why are they so vital to the sport? Men have eight different weight classes ranging from flyweight all the way up to heavyweight. Women have four UFC weight divisions, which range from strawweight to featherweight. However, the two genders share three divisions, which are flyweight, bantamweight, and featherweight. These three divisions share exactly the same weight requirements, regardless of gender. The men have eight different UFC weight divisions. Here are the UFC weight classes in order.

Weight divisions in ufc

There are a total of 12 weight class divisions in the UFC, 8 divisions for men, and 4 divisions for women. As can be seen, women fight in the 4 lightest divisions, while men fight in the 8 heavier divisions. The UFC has weight classes because they neutralize the advantage extra weight gives to one fighter over another, meaning UFC fights are determined by skill, intelligence, and natural ability. The UFC also has weight classes because it allows them to have extra undisputed champions , interim champions , and division rosters, resulting in more fights, promotion , and revenue. Lastly, weight class divisions are used as a way to keep the promotion organized. They make it easy for fans to identify fighters by their divisions, and easily see the best within each weight class. The UFC first used weight class divisions at UFC 12 in , which were the lightweight division and the heavyweight division.

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In total Silva successfully defended his belt ten times between and , leading many to consider him the greatest fighter the UFC has ever seen. At the weigh-ins, neither fighter may weigh more than the upper limit of their respective division. James Whitelock Head of Sports. Upon regaining the welterweight title, Georges St-Pierre began one of the longest champion streaks in UFC history, defeating a host of skilled challengers between There is no lower limit for strawweight fighters and, just like in all classes, fighters have been known to bulk up and fight at the category above. The middleweight division is home to Anderson Silva, holder of the longest run as a champion in any class and widely regarded as one of the best strikers of all time. The UFC has staged multiple open weight competitions throughout its history. Since then, to create uniformity, all state commissions in the United States that regulate mixed martial arts have assimilated these rules into their existing unarmed combat competition rules and statutes. Feb 18, , AM ET. Heavy strikers are the order of the day in the light heavyweight class. Discover the best sites for betting on UFC matches:. Before a bout, weight cutting is the process of fast decreasing weight to meet the weight requirements for a weight class. Hughes defended his title against Frank Trigg with an impressive comeback victory and defeated a number of other welterweight challengers in non-title fights. Enter former light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

Like all martial arts and combat sports, the UFC has several weight categories called divisions. In mixed martial arts, a weight class is a competition division that matches fighters against each other at their size. As we know, the primary purpose of weight categories is to equalize the battlefield and enable relatively similar opponents to face each other without anyone having a clear-cut advantage over the other.

Over these six years, Johnson showcased his prowess in a vast array of diverse styles and introduced moves that had never been seen in the UFC before. Joshua takes out Ngannou with crushing KO finish. With a hastily re-shuffled schedule, McGregor instead fought Chad Mendes for the interim featherweight title. Athletes must meet these limits during the official weigh-in, one day before their bouts, to compete in their selected category. See all Sportsbooks. Fights are regularly made at the highest level in the division, which have regularly featured Cruz who is recognised largely as the best to be produced by the weight class. Hughes eventually lost his title to BJ Penn, but the Hawaiian fighter immediately ran into contract issues with UFC, and his title was stripped before he could even defend it. A stacked division which has gripped the modern era and produced the biggest night's in the promotion's history, the weight class has been hugely important to the success of the UFC in the modern day. Steve Clavette Consumers look to drinks to stay healthy. Hughes gained control of the fight, raining down punches while trapping Penn underneath his body. Although he went into his fight against Weidman as a big favorite, Silva had been rattled in recent matches and was becoming reckless with his showboating. Spreading a thin field across two many weight classes would harm the integrity of the contest — resulting in many mismatches and uncompetitive fights. In a back-and-forth fight the challenger gradually inflicted so much damage to the face of Tanner that the fight was stopped by the ringside doctor. Failure to reach the required weight results in either the athlete forfeiting a percentage of their fight purse to their opponent, an agreement between the two athletes to compete at a non-weight class specific weight catchweight or having the fight cancelled altogether. The inaugural strawweight champion was Carla Esparza when she won the first-ever title in