Dana White Attracts Heavy Fines for Fighters as CEO Puts an End to Old Rule After UFC 299 Weigh Ins

The UFC is thinking about changing its weigh-in procedure, according to MMA journalist Marc Raimondi. At the moment, fighters are allowed to hit the scale between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. local time one day before their fight with those who cannot make weight allowed to cut further wait between these hours.

However, the Dana White-led promotion, which is in Miami, Florida for UFC 299 on Saturday is apparently impressed with the Florida Atheltic Commission’s (FAC’s) weigh-in protocols that require all fighters to hit the scale between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m.

The second hour, i.e. between 10 and 11 a.m. is reserved for the fighters who failed to make weight the first time. If a fighter fails to hit the scales between 9 and 10 for the first time, they could be punished by the commission.

This, according to the FAC allows its doctors to have a better look at the fighters who failed to make weight the first time before they cut more weight. And the UFC is mulling implementing this protocol across all its events. Weight cutting is serious and painful part of professional MMA, which has come under fire from many analysts, including Joe Rogan.

Joe Rogan thinks weight-cutting is ‘legalized cheating’

Weight cutting is a tedious and painful process that entails fighters dehydrating their bodies severely to decrease their weight and make the limit of their respective weight classes. Almost all fighters do this since it gives them a size advantage by enabling them to fight in lower weight classes than they could if they fought at their natural weight class.

And UFC commentator and JRE podcast host Joe Rogan is a strong critic of this practice, comparing weight cutting to cheating and once remarked on his podcast that “It’s basically sanctioned cheating. It really is. But, everybody does it.”

Rogan feels the practice is “so illogical” that “it drives me crazy”. Rogan pleaded for the practice to be eliminated from the sport and fighters should be made to fight at their natural weight and felt it was a “bad culture” which led to needless suffering for the fighters.

Rogan has suggested weigh-in protocols used by ONE FC as replacement. ONE FC not only requires fighters to make weight, but also tests them for hydration levels to ensure fighters do not cut weight beyond a certain threshold. What do you think about the UFC changing its weigh-in protocols?

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