Cut the Weight Cut: Combat's Heavy Problem

Before the UFC first made its Paramount debut, Cameron Smotherman stepped off the scales after making the bantamweight limit and passed out. People faint all the time, but the problem isn’t that a fighter fainted. The problem is that in MMA and professional boxing, fainting at the weigh-ins is a symptom of something far more dangerous. The reason fighters cut weight is simple: size is a massive advantage. To maximise this advantage, you want as much muscle as possible, with as little fat and water as possible. Many athletes will routinely push their bodies into severe dehydration so that they can compete the next day at 30, or even 40 pounds over the weight limit. Over time, the risks stack up — kidney damage, heart issues, neurological harm — all linked to repeated extreme weight cuts. But the most frightening consequence is one that doesn’t take long at all. WATCH FULL EPISODES: https://unbeaten.com/watch/total-combat Subscribe for all the latest videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCo-3-6gA5iU-7d5nc10f34w For more combat news and updates visit https://unbeaten.com/combat Follow @unbeatencombat on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.