The main event of the night most times is the Heavy weight division or a well known fighter

The question you should yourself, "Are You Really A Heavywieght?"

When you think of weight classes in most combat sports, the most celebrated is the heavyweight division. To watch two men in fantastic physical condition, perform techniques at a high level with a combination of skill and power is mesmerizing and awe inspiring. Unfortunately, we rarely get to see this anymore in our generation due to lack of physically gifted competetors who enter or stay with the combat arts. This leads to sluggish matches, patches of excitement and lack luster performances that leave fans and critics wondering what happened.

Are you a heavyweight, really? This is question you must ask yourself and your coaches after you start training. Being a small heavyweight in MMA can be devastating to your development and career. The disparity between the bottom of the weight class (206lbs) and the peak (265lbs) is phenomenal. No other weight class in MMA has more than 20lbs in between it. Many athletes in smaller weight classes “cut” weight to hopefully be the bigger, stronger fighter on fight night to improve their chances of winning. You hear stories of massive cuts of people losing up to 40lbs in a matter of weeks just to be the bigger fighter. The only weight class that some form of “cutting” is not common is the Heavywieghts. In this division most men rarely compete at the peak weight. Current UFC Heavywieght Junior Dos Santos competes at 247lbs at 6’4”. This is a lean, mean fight machine. He has very little concerns of making weight because he falls somewhere in between the top and bottom.

Most of us begin out journey in combat arts not at the ideal body fat or weight we should be. This leads to sometimes massive drops in weight classes for people who chose to stay involved and start fighting higher levels of competition where being the bigger fighter in an evenly contested match could prove the difference. An example of this is Retired UFC Fighter Kenny Florian. He competed on the first season of The Ultimate Fighter as a Middleweight (185lbs) and made it to the finals. He ended his career in the featherweight (145) division! Your nutrition, workout habits and lifestyle can contribute greatly to what your actual fighting weight is. This takes commitment and discipline to make the adjustments that will put you in position to be the best fighter you can be at any weight class you fall into. To be a successful heavyweight fighter, you don’t have to be the biggest, but be in the best possible physical condition period as proven by pass champions who don’t even come close to the weight limit, but are extremely successful in the cage.