Weightclasses 

There are 17 weight classes currently but it wasn't always like this. At one point there was only 3 but that's unfair right since not all athletes are built the same.  Even though 17 classes seem ridiculous it was all designed to make things as fair as possible.    

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A lot of fighters fear being over powered so some take it upon themselves to lose 30-40 pounds during training camp just to fight in the smallest weight class possible, all for that competitive edge.  

 Is it always safe to lose 30-40 pound in the space of about 5-8 weeks, no, but that's their his/her problem.  

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​Fighters have to weigh in on the limit or below the designed weight at the weigh in. 

For example, If a fight is scheduled to be @ 140lbs ( Super lightweight) then both fighters have to step on the scale @ 140lbs or below.  If a fighter misses weight and comes in at 141lbs they are sometimes granted a concession of 2 hours to burn the extra weight. If a fighter cannot reach the limit in time then they either have to relinquished their title (If they are champion) or miss out on a title shot ( If they are challenging for the belt) , fined or the entire fight could be cancelled.   

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