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).
Contents
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 | 125 | 56.7 |
| Bantamweight | 135 | 61.2 |
| Featherweight | 145 | 65.8 |
| Lightweight | 155 | 70.3 |
| Welterweight | 170 | 77.1 |
| Middleweight | 185 | 83.9 |
| Light Heavyweight | 205 | 93.0 |
| Heavyweight | 265 | 120.2 |
| 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 | 125 | 56.7 |
| Flyweight | 135 | 61.2 |
| Bantamweight | 145 | 65.8 |
| Lightweight | 155 | 70.3 |
| Junior Welterweight | 160 | 72.5 |
| Welterweight | 170 | 77.1 |
| Middleweight | 185 | 83.9 |
| Light Heavyweight | 205 | 93.0 |
| Cruiserweight | 230 | 104.3 |
| Heavyweight | 265 | 120.2 |
| Super Heavyweight | No weight limit | |
Russia
M-1 Global
| Weight class name | Upper limit | |
|---|---|---|
| in kilograms (kg) | in pounds (lb) | |
| Lightweight | 70 | 155 |
| Welterweight | 77 | 170 |
| Middleweight | 84 | 185 |
| Light Heavyweight | 93 | 205 |
| Heavyweight | No weight limit | |
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 | 52 | 115 |
| Bantamweight | 56 | 123 |
| Featherweight | 60 | 132 |
| Lightweight | 65 | 143 |
| Welterweight | 70 | 154 |
| Middleweight | 76 | 168 |
| Light Heavyweight | 83 | 183 |
| Cruiserweight | 91 | 201 |
| Heavyweight | 100 | 220 |
| 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 | |
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 | 115 | 52.2 |
| Bantamweight | 135 | 61.2 |
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 |
Deep Jewels
Deep Jewels sanctions champions for only women, and it sets 4 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 |
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 |
See also
References
- ↑ New Jersey Commission Corrects Mainstream UFC Stories. Ivan's Blog, formerly posted on MMAWeekly.com. Retrieved December 5, 2006.
- ↑ California Legalizes MMA Events. martialarts.about.com. Retrieved December 5, 2006.
- ↑ MMAJunkie.com, MMaJunkie.com
- ↑ [1][dead link]
- ↑ Nevada Administrative Code: Chapter 467 – Unarmed Combat. Retrieved December 9, 2006.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ [2][dead link]
- ↑ [3][dead link]
- ↑ RESPECT.FC Weightclasses RESPECT.FC website. Retrieved December 5, 2006.
