Dana White Doubts Adding More Weight Classes Helps
One of the biggest issues in the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) is fighters missing weight – something UFC President Dana White can’t stand.
Fighters such as Kelvin Gastelum, Ray Borg, Johny Hendricks, and many more have shown issues hitting their target weight when they step on the scales. Most recently, Kevin Lee initially missed weight prior to his interim UFC lightweight title match against Tony Ferguson at UFC 216. Lee was given a second chance to make the weight and would later return coming in just under 155.
“The Motown Phenom” lost the bout via submission; however, after the fight he pondered the possibility of moving up to 170 pounds, and also called for a 165-pound division to be implemented by the UFC. This is a proclamation UFC President Dana White has heard several times before but explained to TSN why he has no interest in making such a move (quotes via MMA Junkie):
“People are like, ‘Add weight classes, do this, do that,’” White said. “It’s never going to change. You’re still going to have people trying to – let’s say I add a 165-pound weight class. That will only mean bigger guys will try to make 165. Everybody’s always looking for an advantage.”
Per White, the problem with weight cutting isn’t the gap between weight classes, but rather the techniques that fighters use to do so. The UFC boss outlined that there are proper ways to go about cutting weight but everyone is looking for the fast and easy way out:
“There’s ways to cut weight,” White said. “There’s safe ways. There’s scientific ways. Nutritionists can help you do this. Everybody just wants to take shortcuts and the easy way. But there is no easy way when you’re cutting weight.”
“What we’ve been doing is Jeff Novitzky, the guy we hired who handles all the (U.S. Anti-Doping Agency) stuff, he’s tracking all these guys’ weights,” White said. “He tracks them. When you come in the week of the fight we find out where you are compared to where you were the last couple times you fought.”
