Most UFC fans are aware of the fact that when they are watching a middleweight bout, the fighters aren’t really 185 pounds.
The UFC conducts weigh-ins the day before the fight and much can be said about whether or not they should be held on the day of the fight instead.
From a marketing standpoint, the major reason why weigh-ins are held the day before the event is to build momentum heading towards the fight and pick up more pay-per-view buys, or network broadcast viewers. A good stare-down, or better yet, a spontaneous shoving match goes a long way in pumping up a fight.
On the other side of the coin, from the fighters standpoint, they need to have the actual fight day to clear their mind as much as possible and keep to themselves in preparation of their fight. In addition, the fighter also needs the 24 hours to re-hydrate themselves and allow their bodies to recover following the weight cut.
The benefit of having same day weigh-ins would be to have a true representation of the fighters weight as they compete against each other.
In some cases we see fighters 10 to 15 pounds heavier than they were the day before at the weigh-ins. Some fighters have the body types that allow them to put on weight much faster than others, and for them it can serve as an advantage at times.
Realistically speaking, the majority of fights aren’t won or lost due to one fighter being 10 pounds heavier than his opponent.
The notion that the fighters are fighting at the same weight is false and could be corrected if weigh-ins were held the same day.
Would you like to see weigh-ins held on the same day, or is it really a non-issue?
Joe Chacon is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a staff writer for Operation Sports. You can contact him on Twitter @JoeChacon.
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