In the Flyweight Division everything is a little bit different. It has been since the UFC established their 125lb division in March of 2012 in Sydney, Australia. The divisions second fight ever, EVENTUALLY, was ruled a draw. A dominant champion, polarizing figures, an Olympic gold medalist, and people missing weight. A LOT of people missing weight. In it’s infancy the Flyweight division may appear weak or on it’s way out. If you believe that, well then you just don’t know fighting. You don’t know the new breed of Flyweight. You don’t know Heinrich Wassmer.
Heinrich Wassmer fights next Thursday August 11th on Campbell McLaren’s Combate Americas card live on UFC Fight Pass and BEIN Sports en Espanol. I spoke with the talented prospect about the ups and downs of the Flyweight division, including the weight cutting issue that seems to be a big problem for this weight class. “… you have to know if you can and can’t make the weight. If your just trying to put your body through that stuff to get a simple advantage. That’s not really what Martial Arts is about, ya know, Martial Arts is about skills. If you don’t trust your skills enough, that you have to cut a ridiculous amount of weight because you don’t have the confidence in your skills. You’re not a Martial Artist, you’re a fighter…”
Similar to the sport of MMA at it’s beginning, the Flyweight division is going through it’s trials and tribulations. With acceptance from the UFC comes acceptance from the rest of the MMA community. As I talked with Heinrich, in the next 3 to 5 years, the Flyweight will be bigger than ever. Listen as we talk about the division as a whole, what it’s like being a young undefeated pro, a fighters prospective on fighting a guy coming in WAY over weight, and more.