T.J. Dillashaw’s ‘most intricately executed’ weight cut in MMA history

Sam Calavitta first came to Cal State Fullerton in 1985 and wrestled. He later applied the rigors and triumphs of wrestling to teaching math, and is now an internationally celebrated teacher at Fairmont Preparatory Academy, a private institution in the suburbs of Los Angeles. And now the former aerospace engineer has taken the rigors of math to his The Treigning Lab in Anaheim, using proprietary algorithms to help clients meet their goals.

Those clients range from housewives to Aaron Pico and most prominently UFC bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw, who is dropping to 125 to challenge flyweight champ Henry Cejudo at UFC Fight Night 143 on Saturday. It was Calavitta who suggested Killashaw drop a division; the process has been beyond meticulous, with the performance coach monitoring a wide range ofperformance metrics. The initial plan was for a 16-week cut, but 12 was available, and that shrunk to 11, but Dillashaw was ahead of schedule.

The fighter began at 154, with eight percent body fat. If Dillashaw reduced to 0% body fat, an impossibility, that would get him to 141.7. But somehow it came together, and Calavitta says Dillashaw may go to sleep Friday night on weight.

Everyone in the industry is looking for a single variable, but I’m a mathematician by trade, said Calavitta to Mike Bohn for MMAjunkie. I account for all variables and I looked at all the variables that I can control in a weight drop. The numbers don’t lie. I’m actually the one who looked at the numbers and told T.J. that I believe it’s feasible to be able to bring him in not just on weight, but stronger, faster and better without ever having missed a meal or a drink.”

This here is probably, in combat sports, the most intricately executed and calculated-out weight cut in the history of it. This process is not something that’s done overnight. Weight cutting in the industry has been bastardized to salt baths and sauna and starvation and dehydration for 24 hours to 48 hours, and it’s killing folks. There’s no calculations, there’s no metabolic process, there’s no high-grade equipment. I understood if this process was going to happen, we needed to have a certain calculated number of time to do it properly.

T.J. is basically doing something unprecedented at ’25 to become one of the greatest fighters of all-time. To solidify that legacy I have assured him that we will be able to, mathematically, physiologically and biologically, be able to take him the other direction. I believe T.J.’s plan if all goes well is to go ahead and go on up to 145 because we all believe has the skillset to formidably challenge Max Holloway and be the first-ever three-belt holder and retire as unquestionably the greatest of all-time.

UFC Fight Night 143 is regulated by the excellent New York State Athletic Commission who will also be monitoring Dillashaw’s state. If the fighter makes weight successfully, Calavitta will have some new clients. If Dillashaw wins, and becomes only the fourth champ champ in UFC history, Calavitta will have a lot more clients. And if Dillashaw eventually challenges successfully at 145, and becomes the G.O.A.T., Calavitta can franchise. 

Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 1 will broadcast in three parts, starting with ESPN+ then four fights on network ESPN and then back to ESPN+ for a six fight main card.

ESPN+ (Free 7-Day Trial) is available through iTunes, Google Play, and a web browser.