Mixed martial arts weight classes

Mixed martial arts weight classes are weight classes that pertain to the sport of mixed martial arts.

Organizations will often adopt their own rules for weight limits, causing ambiguity in the sport regarding how a weight class should be defined. For a variety of reasons (largely historical), weight classes of the same name can be of vastly different weights. For example, a boxing Middleweight weighs up to 160 pounds, a UFC Middleweight upper limit is 185 lb, and a Pride FC Middleweight upper limit was 93 kg (205 lb).

United States

Prior to state sanctioning, weight classes were not mandatory since the competitions were held without the approval of the athletic commissions. For instance, the Ultimate Fighting Championship introduced two weight classes at UFC 12: heavyweight, which grouped competitors above 200 lb (91 kg), and lightweight, which grouped competitors under 200 lb.

Weight divisions underwent many changes in the ensuing years, but the ability of promotions to autonomously decide their own weight classes eventually disappeared after athletic commissions began supervising mixed martial arts.

In 2000, the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts were codified by the New Jersey State Athletic Commission. The California State Athletic Commission had worked extensively on regulation, but their sanctioning of MMA was not implemented due to state governmental issues surrounding the process.[1] California officially sanctioned MMA on December 28, 2005, using the ruleset it helped devise five years previously.[2]

Since then, to create uniformity, all state commissions in the United States that regulate mixed martial arts have assimilated these rules into their existing unarmed combat competition rules and statutes. For a promotion to hold mixed martial arts events in a state-sanctioned venue, the promotion must abide by the state athletic commission's body of rules for weight limits.

In July 2008, a change to the existing classes was proposed to the Association of Boxing Commissions to expand the weight classes to 14, with most classes 10 pounds apart and a division of the current 205–265 lb heavyweight class into two. The proposals were met with resistance from various quarters, including from the UFC and several state athletic commissions.[3] The proposed classes were later rejected by the ABC.[4]

Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts

The Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts designate limits for nine different weight classes in mixed martial arts. Fighters must be weighed in pounds (lb):[5]

Weight class name Upper limit
in pounds (lb) in kilograms (kg)
Flyweight 12556.7
Bantamweight 13561.2
Featherweight 14565.8
Lightweight 15570.3
Welterweight 17077.1
Middleweight 18583.9
Light Heavyweight 20593.0
Heavyweight 265120.2
Super Heavyweight No weight limit

Non-codified states and exceptions

In Alaska and Montana professional MMA is legal but is not regulated by a local commission.[6]

Promotions that hold events on Indian reservations are under the jurisdiction of independent athletic commissions. Many of these commissions are under the umbrella of the Native American Sports Council.

King of the Cage

Weight class name Upper limit
in pounds (lb) in kilograms (kg)
Junior Flyweight 12556.7
Flyweight 13561.2
Bantamweight 14565.8
Lightweight 15570.3
Junior Welterweight 16072.5
Welterweight 17077.1
Middleweight 18583.9
Light Heavyweight 20593.0
Cruiserweight 230104.3
Heavyweight 265120.2
Super Heavyweight No weight limit

[7]

Russia

M-1 Global

Weight class name Upper limit
in kilograms (kg) in pounds (lb)
Lightweight 70155
Welterweight 77170
Middleweight 84185
Light Heavyweight 93205
Heavyweight No weight limit

[8]

Japan

With no state or government laws regarding weight class restrictions, Japanese organizations are free to schedule bouts with little regard for weight differential. However, due to the increasingly competitive nature of the sport, weight is often seen as an unfair advantage over a smaller competitor; therefore, weight limits have been set by the promotions themselves. These limits differ from organization to organization. Japan uses the metric system.

Shooto

Weight class name Upper limit
in kilograms (kg) in pounds (lb)
Flyweight 52115
Bantamweight 56123
Featherweight 60132
Lightweight 65143
Welterweight 70154
Middleweight 76168
Light Heavyweight 83183
Cruiserweight 91201
Heavyweight 100220
Super Heavyweight No weight limit

United Kingdom

With no state or government laws regarding weight class restrictions, British organizations are free to schedule bouts with little regard for weight differential. However, due to the increasingly competitive nature of the sport, weight is often seen as an unfair advantage over a smaller competitor; therefore, weight limits have been set by the promotions themselves. These limits differ from organization to organization.

Germany

With no state or government laws regarding weight class restrictions, German organizations are free to schedule bouts with little regard for weight differential. However, due to the increasingly competitive nature of the sport, weight is often seen as an unfair advantage over a smaller competitor; therefore, weight limits have been set by the promotions themselves. These limits differ from organization to organization. Germany uses the metric system.

RESPECT.FC

Weight class name Upper limit
in kilograms in pounds
Flyweight 57 kg 125 lb
Bantamweight 61 kg 135 lb
Featherweight 66 kg 145 lb
Lightweight 70 kg 155 lb
Light Welterweight 73 kg 160 lb
Welterweight 77 kg 170 lb
Light Middleweight 80 kg 175 lb
Middleweight 84 kg 185 lb
Light Heavyweight 93 kg 205 lb
Heavyweight 120 kg 265 lb
Super Heavyweight No weight limit

[9]

Women

A unified weight division system for women has not been designated, so each organization adopts its own rules for weight limits.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Weight class name Upper limit
in pounds (lb) in kilograms (kg)
Strawweight 11552.2
Bantamweight 13561.2

Invicta Fighting Championships

Invicta Fighting Championships sanctions champions for only women, and it sets 5 weight divisions.

Weight class name Upper limit
in kilograms in pounds
Atomweight 47.6 kg 105 lb
Strawweight 52.2 kg 115 lb
Flyweight 56.7 kg 125 lb
Bantamweight 61.2 kg 135 lb
Featherweight 65.8 kg 145 lb

Valkyrie

Valkyrie sanctions champions for only women, and it sets 5 weight divisions.

Weight class name Upper limit
in kilograms in pounds
Flyweight 45.4 kg 100 lb
Bantamweight 48.5 kg 107 lb
Featherweight 52.2 kg 115 lb
Lightweight 56.7 kg 125 lb
Welterweight 61.2 kg 135 lb

Deep

Deep sanctions champions for both of men and women, and Deep currently sanctions at 2 weight divisions.

Weight class name Upper limit
in kilograms in pounds
Flyweight 45 kg 100 lb
Lightweight 48 kg 105 lb

See also

References

  1. ↑ New Jersey Commission Corrects Mainstream UFC Stories. Ivan's Blog, formerly posted on MMAWeekly.com. Retrieved December 5, 2006.
  2. ↑ California Legalizes MMA Events. martialarts.about.com. Retrieved December 5, 2006.
  3. ↑ MMAJunkie.com, MMaJunkie.com
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ Nevada Administrative Code: Chapter 467 – Unarmed Combat. Retrieved December 9, 2006.
  6. ↑ "In What USA States Are Kickboxing and or MMA Legal?". International Fight Sports. Retrieved 2011-07-06.
  7. ↑
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ RESPECT.FC Weightclasses RESPECT.FC website. Retrieved December 5, 2006.