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The UFC’S Lightweight Division is Insane
Justin Gaethje Winning UFC 249 Over Tony Ferguson Makes it Even More Complicated
Weight divisions are a strange thing in mixed martial arts. The sole fact that it involves a complicated nutritional and training regiment is self-attrition.
Weight fixing, weight cutting, weight bulking. It’s a crazy business.
You have people bulking up in weight only to lose that weight in a few weeks. You have people not drinking water leading up to the weigh-in day. You have people moving up in weight by almost 20–35 lbs a day before the fight.
As with everything we come across in life, there is a weight class ‘sweet spot’. In the UFC, it’s the lightweight division. This is the 155 lb limit.
For those who follow the UFC, the names that dominate generally attach to a weight class — this is regardless of whether the person still fights today.
When we think light heavyweight (186-205 lbs), we think of Jon Jones.
When we think welterweight (156–170), we think of George St. Pierre.
When we think middleweight (171–185), we think of Anderson Silva.
When we think featherweight (136–145), we think of Conor McGregor.
