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.
Joel “El Fenomeno” Alvarez (18-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC)
Lightweight (155lbs): 3-1 (UFC), Missed weight 1x in UFC
Joel Alvarez missed weight in his most recent fight, coming in at 159.5lbs for a lightweight bout.
Though Alvarez finished his opponent Alexander Yakovlev, he missed weight for the first time in his very promising career. Alvarez told media members last year in Abu Dhabi, after his last fight that: “I’m a professional. That’s never happened before and it’s not going to happen again,” referring to the weight cut. And that, “Next time I’m just gonna have to plan it out. In four weeks maybe wasn’t enough for me to make weight.”
Alvarez stands at a towering 6’3″ tall and has a massive 77″ reach. At 28 years old, with his metabolism slowing down it will become increasingly more difficult for him to make 155lbs.
Joel is an ultra-hot prospect that has competed against and finished some great competition. With that being said don’t expect him to move up to 170lbs, but you can’t leave it completely out of the realm of possibility. Regardless Alvarez will be a fighter to watch on the scale and in the octagon for UFC Vegas 42.
