MMA commission wants higher fines for fighters who miss weight

Undefeated lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov is the latest high profile MMA fighter to withdraw from his fight due to a drastic weight cut. Image: UFC.com

As UFC analyst and commentator Joe Rogan once pointed out, weight cutting is the biggest issue of mixed martial arts today.

His sentiments are spot on, as more and more fighters have been missing weight and pulling out of fights due to drastic weight cuts in recent years.

Due to these unfortunate turn of events, the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) is proposing  a new rule to combat extreme weight cutting once and for all.

The governing body, as per MMA Fighting, will vote for a new measure which would increase fines for fighters who miss weight.

The existing policy—which is adapted by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC)—only deducts from a fighter’s show purse.

But CSAC is now proposing to impose a 20-percent fine to the fighter’s win bonus, including the existing 20-percent fine on their show money.

Much like what the UFC implores, the fine money will then be distributed evenly to the fighter’s opponent who made weight and to the commission.

Disappointing results

The UFC, meanwhile, has had multiple alterations to their weight cutting process in recent years, in hopes of figuring out how to lessen such incidents.

The promotion has increased the time for fighters to rehydrate before their bouts, by scheduling weigh-ins the morning of the day before a fight, rather than in the afternoon.

However, it reaped negative effects, as more than a dozen fighters failed to hit their target weight since June of last year, the report said. Khristian Ibarrola/JB

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