Fighters react to news UFC trying to end early weigh-ins
Fighters were not impressed with UFC president Dana White’s intention to end early weigh-ins, as they made clear on the social network.
The culture of extreme weight cutting in MMA is such that fighters were not able to fully hydrate for a fight on Saturday night, despite weighing in at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. So many started getting an IV immediately after weighing in.
Then USADA was tasked by the UFC with ending doping in the league. Part of that process is a prohibition on IVs, as they can be used to mask the use of performance-enhancing drugs. A compromise was reached – weigh-ins were moved to Friday morning. It seemed to work well, but after a rash of failed cuts leading to fights being canceled, UFC president Dana White said he was ending the early weigh-ins and returning to the old 4:00 p.m. ones.
Fighters were not impressed, as they made clear on the social network.
https://twitter.com/HeatherHardyBox/status/1004082513009049600https://twitter.com/Ealvarezfight/status/1004036129643991041https://twitter.com/Ealvarezfight/status/1004039566372765698https://twitter.com/Ealvarezfight/status/1004037515408314369https://twitter.com/HurricaneShaneB/status/1003989074955337735https://twitter.com/patmiletich/status/1004042215721766914https://twitter.com/CubSwanson/status/1004133779231784960https://twitter.com/eduardo_alonso/status/1004041314848079872https://twitter.com/TheDolceDiet/status/1004034708437528576https://twitter.com/JohnMcCarthyMMA/status/1004046765060837378https://twitter.com/mmasarah/status/1004054007327813632https://twitter.com/AngieOverkill/status/1004035165688029186https://twitter.com/blondefighter/status/1004056447099994112https://twitter.com/flash_mma_ufc/status/1004054186693091328https://twitter.com/Roxyfighter/status/1004008955130011648https://twitter.com/erykanders/status/1004009597793914880
The UFC needs to step forward in this deadly matter, not backward to the leather helmet age. Matchmakers need to make sure when a fight is offered that the athletes can safely make weight, and monitor weight during camp. Dana White’s a brilliant guy, but unless there’s more to his plan, this isn’t smart.