Let’s hope the UFC are paying attention.
ONE Championship, Asia’s MMA promotion, has taken a huge step forward in the fight against the contentious issue of weight cutting.
The promotion has introduced a new programme around weigh-ins that will make it very difficult for fighters to dehydrate themselves before hitting the scales in order to have a size advantage on fight night.
It will see the introduction of “walking-weight” competition by way of multiple weigh-ins, as well as tests before and during fight week, including one three hours before an event commences.
This will ensure that there won’t be any massive weight fluctuations before the fight meaning that weight-cutting in the promotion will essentially become a thing of the past.
“ONE Championship has paved the way for MMA in Asia and we have always been at the forefront of innovation for the sport. By banning weight cutting by dehydration, we are leading the way globally for enhanced safety standards for professional MMA athletes,” CEO of ONE Championship Victor Cui said.
“We believe that through the implementation of this new weigh-in program, our fighters will enjoy a safer and healthier life inside and outside of the cage. I invite the other two major global MMA organizations, Bellator and UFC, to follow in our footsteps to protect athletes and to eliminate the process of weight cutting by dehydration.”
