Is a 'Cruiserweight' division a good idea?

For Zuffa brand? Say, 225 or 230?

And then make HW unlimited?

Discuss.

 

I was thinking though, if a fighter with Stefan Struves dimensions, but with significantly more bulk arrived, and was very talented, would the UFC miss out on such a talent by him not being able to make the weight?

Mad hypothetical I know, but....well, Struve is young, he might bulk up to try and strengthen his punch resistance, he himself could outgrow the division.

And if there is a Cruiserweight champion dominant enough that the fans call for him to go up and challenge the HW kingpin, it will happen. But as has already been said, there's a lot of talented fighters that could make for good fights with each other between 206-230. Roy Nelson could make the cut. Someone like Chad Griggs would be entertaining. Big Nog, Phil David and Jon Jones would be able to come in at a more natural weight.

Or they could decide to keep cutting and enjoy a ccomfortable weight advantage, difference being is that it's hard to castigate them when they can do it safely and the next div' up is such a big jump.

But if there was a 'Cruiserweight' division, it'd be much easier to force the issue ;-)

Fedor @ 225? Sounds good to me. A cut to 205 would be stupid, but he'd still be bullishly strong, powerful and skilled enough to fight guys around his own size IMO, without fighting guys so fast his own natural advantages over bigger competitors isn't too compromised.

It's hardly a stupid inclusion, unlike Diego Sanchez calling for a 165 and Welter to move up to 175. A stone is not too bad. But if say, Jon Jones can't make the cut anymore and bulks up to say, 225-230, to retain his own speed, I would think someone like Overeem, JDS or Cain would **** him up, although he obviously has a bit of growing to do and God knows what he might morph into.

We don't want fighters getting it easy, but I think with the amount of quality fighters around that range, (and can anyone think of guys struggling at 205 that would feel more comfortable jumping up to 225-230? Rampage?) that competition would still be fervant.

 

You don't think? Big 205ers small 265ers....there must be a fair few of those.

 

But this is a valid shout IMO.

Not like 165 atsch :good

 

First and foremost, the sport is new enough to establish such a divison IMO.

I here your points about Velasquez and whatnot, those are good points.

I guess I just disagree at big cuts, as there are guys out there who are genuinely stuck at a natural weight too small for the massive guys, and too big to cut the weight. 205 to 265 is a massive leap, when you consider the big boys there are cutting to 265.

I actually think boxing is different, and that Cruiserweight is fairly useless. But I think there's a difference in grappling with a guy who outweighs you massively, and that grappling favours bigger guys in a way that boxing doesn't (i.e ssome of these big giants in boxing are getting by as the division is so poor) and that the kind of big guy that will be lining the Heavyweight division is a few years is going to be Hell for anyone not of a similar size. Their will be exceptions of course....but was just a thought :good

 

This is true also.

I will also say that you shouldn't get too hung up on the title 'cruiserweight'. 200lbs is not too highly loved in Boxing (nowadays) but is one of MMAs matinee divisions.

I honestly think 225/230 would work. But you have provided a solid counter argument :good