9 fighters increase 10%+ over weight class at latest MMA event in California
Severe dehydration is over 10%, requiring immediate medical care. Death occurs at a loss of between 15% and 25% of the body water. Andy Murad pushed himself into a potentially fatal territory.
California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) executive director Andy Foster is on a mission to end the culture of extreme weight cutting in mixed martial arts. He has for some time been recording fighters weights at fight time and comparing them with the weight at weigh-ins. He will now be making this information public, starting with Friday’s Bellator 44.
Marc Raimondi for MMA Fighting published the results. The numbers are startling.
Of the 24 fighters, nine came in more than 10% over their weight class. The highest was Andy Murad who weighed in at 170.8 and fought at 199.4, some 16.6 percent over the contracted welterweight division, and 19.4 pounds over his opponent. That’s crazy.
Dehydration is classified as mild, moderate, or severe depending on the percentage of body weight lost. Mild dehydration is 5-6%, while moderate is 7-10%. Severe dehydration is over 10%, requiring immediate medical care. Death occurs at a loss of between 15% and 25% of the body water. Murad pushed himself into a potentially fatal territory. And nine fighters were in a state that requires immediate medical attention.
Fighters being 20 pounds apart is crazy too, as weight divisions are a safety and fairness regulation. Crazier still, there is no evidence that extreme cutting works. Murad lost, despite having a 20-pound weight advantage over his opponent.
In further craziness, the fighters generally ended up at the same weight. For the best athletes at the event, the main card fighters, the biggest difference was 2.2 pounds, a negligible amount. So fighters threaten their health, deplete their bodies terribly a day before the greatest of physical exertions, and it’s for no advantage. And this is a safety rule.
And this is happening in a state that is taking the dangers of weight cutting with the utmost seriousness. It’s worse where commissions are not. This published data is part of Foster 10 Point Plan to fix the lethal problem. Commissions can begin to adopt the plan as it meets the needs of their state, tribal area, province, or municipality, or they can wait for someone prominent to die and then do so.
Winners are listed first.
Main Card
Ilima-Lei Macfarlane (125 to 137 = 9.5%) vs. Alejandra Lara (124.6 to 138 = 10.6%), 1 pound difference
Saad Awad (159.8 to 172.8 = 8.1%) def. Ryan Couture (159.9 to 175 = 9.4%), 2.2 pounds difference
Valerie Letourneau (126 to 140.3 = 11.3%) def. Kristina Williams (125.4 to 138.5 = 10.4%), 1.8 pound difference
Juan Archuleta (146 to 162 = 11%) def. Robbie Peralta (145.3 to 160.4 = 10.3%), 1.6 pound difference
Prelim Card
Ed Ruth (171 to 180 = 5.3%) def. Andy Murad (170.8 to 199.4 = 16.6%), 19.4 pound difference
Joey Davis (170.6 to 184.2 = 8%) def. Craig Plaskett (168.2 to 178.4 = 4.3%), 7.8 pound difference
Tyrell Fortune (244.8 to 245 = .08%) def. Giovanni Sarran (251.8 to 252.5 = .27%), NA heavy
Postlim Card
Jordan Young (204.8 to 212.5 = 3.7%) def. Jamal Pogues (203.7 to 216.4 = 6.2%), 3.9 pound difference
Keri Melendez (116 to 126 = 8.6%) def. Tiani Valle (114.5 to 124.4 = 7.2%), 1.6 pound difference
Ricky Furar (134.5 to 146.9 = 8%) def. Victor Rosas (135.3 to 144.5 = 6.3%), 2.4 pound difference
Jay Jay Wilson (146 to 163.2 = 11.8%) def. David Conte (145.6 to 148 = 1.4%), 15.2 pound difference
Joshua Jones (155.5 to 170 = 10.9%) def. Jacob Rosales (155.7 to 172.5 = 10.6%), 2.5 pound difference