UFC Fight Island 7 makes the first card of 2002 for the UFC, and the weight cutting chronicles returns along with it.
Like it or not, weight-cutting is deeply rooted in mixed martial arts. MMA adopted its weight-cutting from the sport of wrestling, where it is presumed to be very advantageous to be the biggest and strongest in your weight class. Known as the ‘fight before the fight,’ most UFC fighters cut anywhere from 5-25 pounds, with some fighters even in excess of 30 pounds.
Weight-cutting is the ultimate test of discipline and willpower. Many fighters in the sport consider it very unprofessional to miss weight. In this series, we will shine a light on fighters who cut a massive amount of weight, who have missed weight multiple times in the past, who have made weight-class changes, along with how the weight-cut and weigh-in could affect possible upcoming match-ups. Basically, every aspect of weight-cutting and how it affects the fight game.
Ahead of UFC Fight Island 7, the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s first card of 2020, we take a look at a collection of female fighters who have moved up, down, or battled the scales over the years.
Yanan “Mulan” Wu (11-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC)
Flyweight (125lbs): 1-1 (UFC), Missed weight 1 time
Bantamweight (135lbs): 0-1 (UFC)
Yanan Wu has fought at as heavy as 143lbs in a catchweight bout back in 2015. Wu faced Yana Kunitskaya at bantamweight in 2016 just a couple years ahead of her going on to challenge Cris Cyborg for UFC Women’s Featherweight Title. Wu is currently just 24 years old and stands at 5’8″ so there is real potential for her to move up in weight as her career continues.
Yanan made it to the UFC in late 2017 and made her debut as a bantamweight against Gina Mazany in November. Wu would lose a unanimous decision and for her next fight, just a day shy of a full year later, she elected to move down to the flyweight division. Wu successfully made weight for her fight and beat a then-undefeated Lauren Muller with an armbar in the very first round. In Yanan’s most recent fight back in August of 2019, she weighted in at 129lbs for the flyweight bout, missing weight by 3lbs. To add insult to injury Yanan lost a razor close split decision in her bout with Mizuki Inoue in her fight the following day. For UFC Fight Island 7, Wu will again be fighting at 125lbs when she takes on 9-2 Joselyne Edwards.
