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 select 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.
Brendan “All In” Allen (17-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC)
Welterweight (170lbs): 1-0 (MMA)
Middleweight (185lbs): 5-1 (UFC), 1-0 (DWCS), 5-2 (LFA), Former LFA Middleweight Champion
Catchweight (195lbs): 0-1 (UFC)
Light Heavyweight (205lbs): 0-0 (UFC)
Brendan Allen is a former LFA Middleweight title holder and a veteran of the 2019 season of Dana White’s Contender Series where he also competed in the middleweight division.
The first fight of Brendan Allen’s pro career, back in 2015, was a welterweight bout.
Allen got his shot at the UFC after his first title defense in the LFA and quickly climbed the ranks of the UFC’s 185lb division with three straight wins.
In a scheduled catchweight bout at 195lbs, back in November of 2020, Allen was finished by UFC Vegas 47 headliner, Sean Strickland. Allen weighed in at only 193.5lbs. for the bout.
Allen quickly bounced back in the form of another couple of wins back down in the middleweight division.
Last time out, Allen was finished by the streaking, red-hot Chris Curtis in his most recent bout back in December.
Now, at 26 years old, the (6’2″, 75″) Allen will look to switch it up, in a move up to the light heavyweight division as he steps in on just days notice to replace Phil Hawes. This will be Allen’s first fight at 205lbs in the UFC, in his professional, and amateur MMA career, as well as being the heaviest weight Brendan has ever fought at.
And slated to welcome Allen to the 205lb division, a man that narrowly missed this week’s edition of WCC (but is WCC alum), Sam Alvey – who has also had immense success at 185lbs in the past.
