This Is How Fighters Die

[ErikMagraken]

There are at least two deaths in mixed martial arts modern era directly attributed to dehydration.

Leandro Souza, died in September, 2013 while cutting weight for Shooto Brazil 43 card in Rio de Janeiro.

ONE Championship fighter Yang Jian Bing died from complications secondary to a rapid extreme weight cut for a bout scheduled in the Phillipines.

MMA’s modern fatality list is now at 16 deaths. Dehydration very well may have played in a role in several of these deaths.

In addition to death, dehydration has caused well documented injuries to athletes.

Weight classes, designed for fighter safety, have been perverted into one of the greatest dangers in combative sports with regulators allowing weight to be made via rapid extreme weight loss practices.

In a troubling development, the UFC are reportedly allowing a fighter to compete in a self-regulated event in Japan after he not only failed to make weight but showed concerning signs consistent with profound dehydration in the process.

Misuto Hirota weighed in four pounds over the featherweight limit. In the process he appeared dazed and disoriented.

The UFC are reportedly allowing his bout to proceed. It is hard to reconcile this decision with the UFC’s Weight Cut Reforms where the promotion purports to take the dangers of profound dehydration seriously.

This is how people die in the sport. All in the name of a rule supposedly in place with fighter safety in mind.


View: https://twitter.com/MMAjunkie/status/910907321223610368

 

[sparkuri]

Despicable.

 

[Wild]

Very scary. Hope they got fluids in that guy immediately and saved him from himself.

No way the UFC should allow him to fight tomorrow. I wouldn't think his brain could rehydrate enough in time.

 

[Judobill]

Holy shit.

 

[Gay For Longo]

That's truly scary
They should call that fight off right fucking now

 

[Gay For Longo]

Very scary. Hope they got fluids in that guy immediately and saved him from himself.

No way the UFC should allow him to fight tomorrow. I wouldn't think his brain could rehydrate enough in time.

It won't have enough time
Dude needs some fluids and cbd stat
Completely depleted

 

[Stillmatic]

That was tough to watch.
I bet he doesn't even remember being there.

 

[Robbie Hart]

Need to cancel this fight. What's the point of doing that to yourself?

Fucking pointless

 

[ECC170]

I know how he's feeling.. your organs feel like they are cooking in your body while the pressure in your head is immense.. your brain literally feels like it's boiling in your skull and your vision is fkd..knocking on deaths door is an understatement

 

[Ted Williams' head]

Scary. It really is the dumbest thing you can think of. You have trained killers who are going to fight each other, but the day before they do they bring themselves as close to death as they possibly can to weight a certain amount. Really retarded.

 

[Wild]

That was tough to watch.
I bet he doesn't even remember being there.

Guarantee it. Worst I've ever seen at a live weigh in.

 

[Stillmatic]

Guarantee it. Worst I've ever seen at a live weigh in.

Worst I've seen too.
Are doctors checking on these guys before the weigh in?

 

[ErikMagraken]

When the UFC self regulates events they do so under Nevada law. Nevada regulations require "a thorough physical examination at the time of his or her weighing in before a contest"

There is no way a doctor can, with any integrity, say this man passes a thorough physical.

 

[Wild]

Worst I've seen too.
Are doctors checking on these guys before the weigh in?

See Erik's comment above. The simple answer, apparently they are not.

 

[SCADA]

Guarantee it. Worst I've ever seen at a live weigh in.

 

[Andrewsimar Palhardass]

This fight needs to be scratched, pronto.

 

[Mishima Zaibatsu]

What's the answer?

More weight classes?

Penalties for cutting too much weight?

Documenting a fighters natural weight and not allowing them to cut more than a healthy amount?

A big thing here is, weight classes were designed so smaller guys can compete on a level playing field, guys their own size. But hasn't there been more deaths south of HW in Boxing?

Curious thought, given HW's hit the hardest, yet there havnt been many deaths compared too other divisions.

Unless it has to do with dehydrated brains, taking too much punishment, that a hydrated brain would've been able to handle better.

Don't know what the answer is. One things for certain though, refs need to be cautious and always think about fighter safety. Guys like Kyle Cardinal shouldn't be reffing.

There havnt been very many deaths in MMA thankfully, in spite of poor officiating, but it's only been a popular sport for a decade or more, so we havnt really seen enough time pass to know how dangerous it is compared too Boxing.

 

[Wild]

Yeah I remember that. He did look rough...like Skeletor, but I don't remember him staggering around almost fainting.

 

[The EZ Life]

What's the answer?

More weight classes?

Penalties for cutting too much weight?

Documenting a fighters natural weight and not allowing them to cut more than a healthy amount?

A big thing here is, weight classes were designed so smaller guys can compete on a level playing field, guys their own size. But hasn't there been more deaths south of HW in Boxing?

Curious thought, given HW's hit the hardest, yet there havnt been many deaths compared too other divisions.

Unless it has to do with dehydrated brains, taking too much punishment, that a hydrated brain would've been able to handle better.

Don't know what the answer is. One things for certain though, refs need to be cautious and always think about fighter safety. Guys like Kyle Cardinal shouldn't be reffing.

There havnt been very many deaths in MMA thankfully, in spite of poor officiating, but it's only been a popular sport for a decade or more, so we havnt really seen enough time pass to know how dangerous it is compared too Boxing.

I'm all for more weight classes. I don't see any harm in it. I mean yes, there will be more champions, but that just means more people will get promoted for being champion and more cards will have title fights on them.

I mean there is some harm. Less depth in each weight class. "Less skillful" champions, in a way.


I'd also be for just having hydration testing. More so than adding more weight classes. They did it in wrestling.. pass a hydration test and then check the fighter's body fat to see what weight he or she can safely cut to. It's not that complicated.

 

[Wild]

View: https://twitter.com/MMAFighting/status/911063702304116736


Good

 

[Mix6APlix]

OK. I'll say it again: Severe weight cuts have always been, are, and will always be stupid.

 

[Onetrickpony]

Mizuto Hirota out of UFC Japan for health reasons following scary weigh-in
Marc Raimondi

The UFC and physicians present took note of Mizuto Hirota’s physical state Thursday at weigh-ins. And it appears that’s a main reason why he won’t be allowed to compete Friday night.

Hirota was pulled from his fight against Charles Rosa at UFC Japan due to health and safety reasons, a UFC source told MMA Fighting on Thursday night. The UFC medical staff determined the Japanese fighter to be unfit to compete, the source said. A statement confirmed the news Thursday night.

On Thursday morning, Hirota could barely stand up under his own power while getting off the scale after weighing in. He had to be helped by UFC staff and a teammate to get off the stage. Hirota weighed in at 150 pounds, four pounds over the 146-pound maximum for the featherweight division.

Hirota (18-8-2) has fought five times at featherweight in the UFC and not missed weight before. The former Road to UFC: Japan contestant is coming off a loss to Alex Volkanovski in June. He was unbeaten in five fights prior that.

Continued

Mizuto Hirota out of UFC Japan for health reasons following scary weigh-in

 

[1031]

What's the answer?

Same day weigh-ins. No IV allowed. Fighters will try to cut massive amounts of weight for about a year but will eventually figure it out that trying to game the wieght classes is the worst possible investment of their time and energy.

 

[ErikMagraken]

Same day weigh ins are even more dangerous if you allow extreme cuts. Less time to meaningfully re-hydrate = trouble.

The answer is fighters have to make weight while also being hydrated. Capable ringside physicians need to certify that the fighter does not show signs of significant dehydration at the time of weigh ins. You have to pass both the weigh in and the hydration tests.

Having honest and capable doctors is key.

 

[The EZ Life]

Same day weigh ins are even more dangerous if you allow extreme cuts. Less time to meaningfully re-hydrate = trouble.

The answer is fighters have to make weight while also being hydrated. Capable ringside physicians need to certify that the fighter does not show signs of significant dehydration at the time of weigh ins. You have to pass both the weigh in and the hydration tests.

Having honest and capable doctors is key.

Which is easy to do; they can test your hydration in your piss, which is the same piss they can use for a drug test