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Does Size Matter?

Yes.

However, while the boxing adage “A good big man beats a good little man” remains true, size is neither everything nor the only thing. Skill can overcome size. Indeed, a central purpose, perhaps the defining purpose of martial arts is to reverse that axiom, via the little guy training diligently in an effective martial art.

Unfortunately, mixed martial arts is a poor means to test whether a very good little man can beat a good big man, because everyone has to weigh in in the same weight division. Granted, some fighters cut far more weight than others, but there is never a massive disparity in the UFC.

However …

David vs. Goliath in MMA

While the UFC may not host open weight or super heavyweight fights, that doesn’t mean we can’t still watch David vs. Goliath scenarios play out in other organizations.

The UFC’s heavyweight division has a weight cap of 265 lbs (plus the 1 pound allowance), and while that may sound like some colossal mass, it’s merely a fraction of the size of super heavyweights like Tomasz Czerwinski, who weighs in at a staggering 385 lbs.

In a mixed martial arts fight contested in the UK organization, UCMMA, Mark Potter gave up a whopping 150 lbs vs. the gargantuan Czerwinski. The bout was a great throwback to PRIDE and early open weight UFC tournaments, where we watched in awe as smaller men like Keith Hackney toppled giants like 600-pound Emmanuel Yarbrough. The great spectacle of the ‘freak-show fight’ is still very much alive and well, just not in the big show.

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What Happened

It took a mere jab in the very first round to chop the giant down to size, sending him crashing to the canvas. The fight was stopped soon thereafter, when Potter landed several unanswered strikes on the ground, proving once again that being larger does not necessarily ensure victory in a fight. 

In point of fact, the super heavyweight division is a rarity in MMA today. Few men exceed 265 lbs, and far fewer still are skilled fighters.

So little guys, keep training hard, in an effective discipline, regardless of your size. There is always someone bigger, but a good little man can beat a goliath, as you can see.

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