Weight divisions in ufc

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.

Since then, the promotion has made waves and effectively taken over MMA , breeding some of the UFC's biggest stars with the weight system combined with rankings allowing for the best fights to be made. There are strict regulations in place to ensure that fighters are able to get to their optimum weight safely, and the implementation of weight classes in the UFC attempts to ensure that everyone competes on an even playing field. And here is everything you need to know about the weight classes and what their limits are in both pounds and kilograms. The category was introduced by the UFC and has been a thriving category with fighters able to compete between lb and the upper limit of lb. It is a division which has seen brilliant fights since it's inaugural title bout in , with Carla Esparza becoming the first champion of the division by beating Rose Namajaunas that year. It is a title that has changed hands with regularity but is now currently held by Chinese champion Zhang Weili who defeated Esparza before making a successful first defence of her title against Amanda Lemos in

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. Before a bout, weight cutting is the process of fast decreasing weight to meet the weight requirements for a weight class. Weight cutting can be done in two ways: 1. Water loss is a way to lose weight staying dehydrated.

Joshua takes out Ngannou with crushing KO finish.

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.

While there are potentially several more weight classes UFC could use from the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts , these are the nine only that they stick with. Weight classes are needed to ensure a fair competition between two fighters. Though there can be a secret tenth weight class, known as Catchweight — so keep reading to learn more about it. In terms of viewership, research suggests that pay-per-view buyers are most interested in watching Heavyweight fights. This most likely is a remnant from Boxing fans who are used to paying the biggest bucks to get access to the biggest fights. And sometimes that means literally! Women are physically different than men as they are smaller in size, frame, and weight. Potentially, an Atomweight or other similar weight class could be added in the future.

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. The two divisions were separated by lbs, meaning you were in the lightweight division if you were under lbs and in the heavyweight division if you were over. The reason for this is the UFC was trying to identify the most effective martial art in a no holds barred format, meaning there were minimal rules and no weight classes. Royce Gracie is famous for being the much lighter fighter, and showing the effectiveness of jiu-jitsu to beat fighters much heavier than him.

Jhu art history

The UFC began in with fighters of all sizes competing against each other. Unlike the brawl-heavy first fight between the two, St-Pierre was able to control a more technical encounter. The first weight divisions in the UFC were launched in The first lightweight champion was Jen Pulver, winning the inaugural title against the Caol Uno from Japan in He later successfully defended it once before losing to Cody Garbrandt after more injury issues. For non-title bouts, middleweight athletes can weigh in up to pounds, while title fights require athletes to weigh in at or under pounds. McGregor spent much of the build-up to the fight taunting Aldo, which many people suggested laid the groundwork for what finally transpired at UFC Many champions have come and gone including Michael Bisping, Alex Pereira, Chris Weidman and more, but none more dominant than 'The Spider', who cemented his name in the history books with the longest title reign ever. Welterweight fighters are more powerful but still mobile enough to be very effective wrestlers. Heavyweight — pounds. Welterweight — pounds. The fight took place at UFC 68 in , with Couture putting on a dominant display of both striking and wrestling. After one title defense, Sherk tested positive for anabolic steroid use. In , former division champion Deiveson Figueiredo was scheduled to fight in a flyweight championship bout against Joseph Benavidez. Weidman eventually lost his title in an epic fight against Luke Rockhold, who in turn immediately lost to Michael Bisping in a big upset.

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.

Namajunas successfully defended her title in the rematch at UFC , which went the distance. After the fight, Shamrock retired from UFC and vacated the title, holding a record as light heavyweight champion. O'Malley puts on show, routs Vera to stay champ. Nevertheless, anyone who was able to look through the hype and identify that the power of Holly Holm would cause Rousey problems in their title fight would have made a lot of money on that bet. With mere seconds left in the round, McGregor connected with a jab combination, and continued to connect with Mendes on the ground, causing the referee to stop the match. Henderson also won a re-match and became the third featherweight champion to defend his belt three times before Anthony Pettis defeated him with a first-round submission at UFC in On the other side, if he were to lose a match it would likely be due to taking an early punch by a hard hitter, rather than being out-wrestled. McGregor lost the fight at the unfamiliar class despite being a big favorite. For non-title bouts, featherweight athletes can weigh in up to pounds, while title fights require athletes to weigh in at or under pounds. The UFC organizes its fights in various weight classes, for both men and women, to ensure fair and equitable competition. As you can see from our guide, the different classes throw up unique betting opportunities.