Weight Classes

[TylerDrew]

I'm curious what weight classes everyone thinks should be included, we've all talked alot about cutting weight but have yet to touch on exactly what weight classes we want included obviously:

265-206
205-186
185-171
170-156
155-146

I'd say the two in question are 265+ and 145-. Should they be included? Should the lighter weights like 135 and 125 be included, or should anyone below 145 just be grouped into one division?(I have to advocate doing that I know there are more weight classes but really there's a point where you have to say,"Ok it IS a game and this is close enough to realistic, because only the most rabid SHOOTO fans can come up with more than 3 or so stars below 145 off the top of their head.") Well what do you guys think?

[ACCBiggz]

Most likely 135 would be the lowest weight class, I don't know any fighters under that... or at least off the top of my head.

Outside of that it's pretty much clear cut. With the UFC purchasing PRIDE and trying to set a standard weight class for all of MMA, which imo is very beneficial, each fighter and fan know what weight classes there are.

135, 145, 155, 170, 185, 205, Heavyweight 206-265, Super Heavyweights/Openweight.

[Evil Angry Cat]

I would suggest that the company itself set it's weightclasses? You can argue that PRIDE and UFC are uniform but a lot of the smaller promoters out there use different weight classes based on different levels, I don't think there should just be pre-defined limits

[y2trav]

i dont like pre-deermined weight classes....if i had my way theyd be

160
175
190
205
heavy

that gives it even weight(15lbs) between all weightclasses.

[mikey5time]

I say we stick with the current accepted weight classes.

I think 135 is good as the lowest.. I mean.. Are we really going to put Ivan Calderon in the game as a cross-over fighter?

[ACCBiggz]

I would suggest that the company itself set it's weightclasses? You can argue that PRIDE and UFC are uniform but a lot of the smaller promoters out there use different weight classes based on different levels, I don't think there should just be pre-defined limits

I could be wrong, but I believe in the States at least that they are working on making these weight classes the standard and official. Can you get around this by working Indian reservations? Yes, there you can go by whatever weight and rules you want. However, I think they are at least now trying to make those the official standard weight classes.

In my opinion that is good for the sport. You have a standard that all fighters know what the weight requirements are.

[y2trav]

pride and ufc weight classes ARNT universal! ufc uses 155, 170, 185, 205, 265...pride uses 161, 183, 205, heavy(unlimited).

light heavyweight(middleweight in pride) is the only weight they have in common. now that ufc owns both, they will deff change it to the ufc weight classes, but thats still a situation of one company deciding what weight classes it wants.

[ACCBiggz]

Yes they are. When the Fertitta's purchased PRIDE they came out and said that they would adopt 5 divisions and have unified rules (eliminating stomps and knees to the head of a downed opponent) and unified weight classes (155, 170, 185, 205, Heavyweights). I believe they are also renaming them to the names the UFC uses.

That came out the day of the purchase of PRIDE from Zuffa.

[asdfx3]

If it causes a lot more load on the game to include lighter weights, then take them out. If two or three more weight classes doesn't hurt the gameplay, no reason not to include them. Whether or not a player/org wants to use those light fighters is up to them, just like it's up to them to use the heavier weight classes.

Also, I agree that any promotion not under control of an athletic commision should be allowed to make their weight classes.

[ACCBiggz]

Also, I agree that any promotion not under control of an athletic commision should be allowed to make their weight classes.

I agree with that, to a point. I think the new "unified" weight classes should be the standard so-to-speak. With them being more widely accepted and preferred. But it depends on the game. Weight classes are a nice thing, but in terms of the game... 155-161 or 185-183 are not big leaps and won't make that much difference in the long ruin. So I would think if nothing else, just putting in those would suffice. It would be nice to open a new promotion in Japan and have your own divisions though, but it depends on the programming aspect.

[badbeat]

There has to be freedom of choosing this for your league. And also every org can choose which weighclasses it wants to use. For example the UFC doesnt field a 145lbs division, but the WEC (which they own) does.

The NSAC and the "unified" rules in the united states has set weigh classes to be:

Flyweight 125lb/57kg
Bantamweight 135lb/61kg
Featherweight 145lb/66kg
Lightweight 155lb/70kg
Welterweight 170lb/77kg
Middleweight 185lb/84kg
Lt Heavyweight 205lb/93kg
Heavyweight 265lb/120kg
Super Heavy Unlimited.

In some states and indian reservations the organizations CAN choose their own weight classes, but most follow the standard anyway.

Pride and Shooto in japan each have their own weight classes since there isnt a governing body.

Cage Rage in the UK uses the unified classes of featherweight to heavyweight.

[Tommy J.]

Seriously if this is to be a WORLD of MMA you can't just leave lower weight classes. I haven't watched a second of Shooto (baring some fighters highlights) but even I can name a few 145-lbs'ers worthy of recognition: Urijah Faber, Kid Yamamoto, Rumina Sato, Alexandre Nogueira, Hatsu Hioki and so on.

If the worlds leading promoter (Zuffa) organizes fights at the lower weights (in WEC) and there are numerous other organizations utilizing lower classes (Hero's have 145, Shooto obviously, TKO) then there's absolutely no reason to discard them. And I mean any of them all the way down to 125 lbs. It'd be like making a boxing game and then deciding that Manny Pacquiao is too small to be relevant.

[y2trav]

Yes they are. When the Fertitta's purchased PRIDE they came out and said that they would adopt 5 divisions and have unified rules (eliminating stomps and knees to the head of a downed opponent) and unified weight classes (155, 170, 185, 205, Heavyweights). I believe they are also renaming them to the names the UFC uses.

That came out the day of the purchase of PRIDE from Zuffa.

its only universal because the company that owns them decided they would be. when they were seperate companies, they had dif weights...k-1 weights are different, and so are shooto.

[Evil Angry Cat]

I agree with that, to a point. I think the new "unified" weight classes should be the standard so-to-speak. With them being more widely accepted and preferred. But it depends on the game. Weight classes are a nice thing, but in terms of the game... 155-161 or 185-183 are not big leaps and won't make that much difference in the long ruin. So I would think if nothing else, just putting in those would suffice. It would be nice to open a new promotion in Japan and have your own divisions though, but it depends on the programming aspect.

I'm going to have to disagree with you here, 6 pounds can definitely make a difference. Gabe Ruediger could have made 161lbs in TUF5, Nick Diaz when fighting at 161 found his perfect weight because cutting to 155lbs drained him too much. Mere pounds do make a huge difference in combat sports, that's why boxing's weightclasses are so close together.

[ACCBiggz]

155-161 is not a huge difference. Gabe Reudiger has fought many times at 155 before. His own personal weight of cutting weight and waiting so long to begin cutting it is what makes the difference. All you have to do is look at the fighters in the divisions... BJ, Serra, etc. fight at bought 155 & 170 and have been top in both. That's not to say there isn't a difference between weight classes, but when you are talking PRIDE's lightweights to the UFC's... and down the line, the talent level is not going to change because of 6 pounds. It's still going to have the best lightweight fighters in that weight division. Most 161, 155 fighters will walk around at 170-175 and cut down to that. Cutting weight is a seperate issue. What I was saying was the unified weight classes dropping 161 to a unified 155 will not make a difference in the long run. To individual fighters whose ways of weight cutting might not be good enough, to them it may be.. but for the long term quality and talent levels it will not make much of a difference.

its only universal because the company that owns them decided they would be. when they were seperate companies, they had dif weights...k-1 weights are different, and so are shooto.
Yes, but you still fail to realize that what I am saying is that the "unified" weight classes should be the default weights.

So I would think if nothing else, just putting in those would suffice. It would be nice to open a new promotion in Japan and have your own divisions though
See.

[TylerDrew]

Seriously if this is to be a WORLD of MMA you can't just leave lower weight classes. I haven't watched a second of Shooto (baring some fighters highlights) but even I can name a few 145-lbs'ers worthy of recognition: Urijah Faber, Kid Yamamoto, Rumina Sato, Alexandre Nogueira, Hatsu Hioki and so on.

If the worlds leading promoter (Zuffa) organizes fights at the lower weights (in WEC) and there are numerous other organizations utilizing lower classes (Hero's have 145, Shooto obviously, TKO) then there's absolutely no reason to discard them. And I mean any of them all the way down to 125 lbs. It'd be like making a boxing game and then deciding that Manny Pacquiao is too small to be relevant.

I'm sorry I don't think I was clear enough. My intention was to include 145 but not add classes below 145 to it, as obviously there are several stars at that weight below it there are nor have there been any stars the level of Pac Man, that's why I feel 135- is not really all that important to the game.

[Capelli King]

I could be wrong, but I believe in the States at least that they are working on making these weight classes the standard and official.
In my opinion that is good for the sport. You have a standard that all fighters know what the weight requirements are.


I agree 100%

[Cro_Cop45]

Looking at tomorrow's K-1 Dynamite Card I'd say catchweight would be a bit of a must. It gets used quite a bit in the USA and would be a nice touch

[Dark Storm]

pride and ufc weight classes ARNT universal! ufc uses 155, 170, 185, 205, 265...pride uses 161, 183, 205, heavy(unlimited).


The reason Pride had differing weight classes is because they used kilograms, not pounds, for weight. 161,183 and 205 were converted for the American telecasts. Their weight classes used 10 kg. increments.

I think to simplify the game, universal weight classes are fine. Instead of catch weights, what if fighters gave permission / had the option of moving up or down a weight class. Say a guy in your fed had no competition in his weight class, he could either show an interest or be invited to move up or down a weight class.

THoughts?

[Ulio]

Ya i think Universal rules should the unifed ones just as default but some organazation could create there own classes.

[y2trav]

Ya i think Universal rules should the unifed ones just as default but some organazation could create there own classes.

exactly, if in my promotion i wanted totally different weight classes, then i should be able to scrap the default ones.