Commission Recommends Four UFC Fighters Move Up In Weight
The California State Athletic Commission has recommended four UFC fighters to move up a weight class following UFC Fresno earlier this last month.
Marlon Moraes, Iuri Alcantara, Davi Ramos and Luke Sanders, all of whom competed on the Fresno card, were all told to move up a division, as all four men fought at more than 10 percent of the contracted fight weight.
The UFC and necessary governing bodies have implemented such plans due to recent issues with dehydration and drastic weight cuts, which inevitably affects fighters’ stamina and overall performance.
The CSAC says they will no longer grant licenses to the above-stated fighters to fight at the weight classes they are cutting so much weight to get to, meaning said fighters will either have to go up a weight class or diet and manage their weight better to stay within the 10 percent limit.
Moraes scores an emphatic knockout over Aljamain Sterling in just over a minute into their bantamweight encounter, a victory that would have put the Brazilian in title contention prior to this revelation. Now, Moraes will have to consider moving up to featherweight in order to be properly licensed to fight.
The CSAC says they will not grant these men licenses at their current weight classes “without extensive medical documentation from a licensed physician certifying the weight class is appropriate and verified by CSAC physicians.”
Moraes gained over 14 percent back following weigh-ins, coming in 155 pounds for a 135 pound contest. Alcantara and Sanders also gained nearly 20 pounds from weigh-ins to fight day. Meanwhile, Ramos went from 155.8 pounds to a whopping 179, a 15 percent increase in weight from weigh-ins to fight night.
