What's your opinion of fighters who fight below their natural weight class?

This content is protected

I think it generally catches up to the fighter.

Edit: For those unaware, McDonnell was 143 on the night of the fight vs Inoue, the fight was at 118 lbs.

 

There's benefits as well as a downside to fighting too low below your natural weight (BTW....natural weight is HIGHLY subjective and should be treated as such.) Sure, one can gain a huge size advantage boiling down. One can also keep themselves from proper condition if down too low.

If one cam squeeze down light and still maintain their high level of performance, nothing wrong with it.

What I have objections on are on the amount of weight some guys gain post weigh in (If they even allow that weight to be public). What they can weigh come fight night should be a pre-determined % of their weigh-in weights.

 

Not sure how Hops was naturally bigger than Kessler. Their frames are different, where Kessler looked to have broader shoulders. And Hops waist was pretty small. Kessler looked a tad sturdier in the legs as well.

Morales was in his early 20's for the most part of that campaign. He doesn't have a a large frame either. Always tended to look a tad slender.

 

I don't know. Having discipline and keeping weight down are not bad things for a boxer to have. Now the guys who balloon in weight post fight and train to lode weigh, as opposed to stay sharp in the ring, are issues I have.

 

If you can do it without hurting yourself I have no problem with it. However I tend not to pull for fighters that rely putting on the day of weight to just be too big for the opponents (Chavez Jr. at middle). The skill has to be there as well

 

No. I was looking at Hops's weight from 175, not comparing a MW to a SprMW.

You are right about Morales legs and height. But his upper body, not so huge.

 

If they make weight they make weight. I don’t see a problem with it. As others have stated there are some risk in doing this. Fighters have died because of dramatic weight cut and water gain leaving the fighter more susceptible to brain injury.

 

Hopkins used to weigh less than 168 on fight night during his MW campaign, I don’t like the man but how exactly was he too big for 160?

Shawn Porter used to fight as a middleweight, is he too big for WW?

 

W/O intimate knowledge of their diet, daily routines and lifestyle, that's just opinion, should be treated as such.

Normally, I'm 5'11" and 165. But I feel more or less the same anywhere from 160 to close to 180, diet depending.

 

Don’t hate the player, hate the game. You get away with what you can. If they simply brought the sport back to using same day weigh ins this problem would be eliminated.

 

He’s a disciplined, world class professional athlete. Is he supposed to eat hot Cheetos and grandmas cookies on a regular basis?