Sexton: Weight cutting can kill you
Weight cutting is a frequent topic of obsession for fighters and debate amongst fans. Some have argued that it amounts…
Weight cutting is a frequent topic of obsession for fighters and debate amongst fans. Some have argued that it amounts to cheating. Others point out that when done badly, it can be one of the most dangerous aspects of MMA. Dehydration can result in heat stroke, kidney failure or heart arrhythmias. Although there’s very little research on this subject, it’s possible that fighters quite commonly dehydrate themselves to a level that affects kidney function. And when it goes badly wrong, it can kill you.
Fighters also know that at the top level, fights are rarely scratched over weight issues. Perhaps this makes some more willing to take greater risks with their weight cuts, knowing that they can negotiate if they fail to hit the target. Sometimes towards the end of a tough cut, taking a 20% pay cut may start to seem like a small price to pay in order to avoid having to drop those extra few pounds, especially when there’s a significantly larger win bonus at stake. Missing weight is frowned upon, but fans can be quick to forgive a popular fighter after an impressive win.
What can be done? It’s often suggested that weigh-ins should be held just before the fight, so that fighters wouldn’t have time to rehydrate and put weight back on. Fighters would no longer gain an advantage by cutting weight, and so the practice would die out. At least that’s the theory.