CSAC to fine win bonus, in addition to show money, if fighter misses weight

[Onetrickpony]

MMA’s weight-cutting and severe dehydration problem is persisting. So is the search for new solutions.

The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has enacted a new rule that will fine a fighter’s win bonus in addition to his or her show money when that fighter misses weight, executive officer Andy Foster said at a commission meeting Tuesday.

Foster has the ability to make the change administratively in language added to fighter bout agreements and he informed the commissioners about the alteration Tuesday. Foster told MMA Fighting the change would be implemented as soon as he can get new contracts drafted.

Previously, CSAC fined fighters 20 percent for missing weight, with the money coming out of their show money only. Half of that percentage went to the opponent and the other half went to the commission. Now, in addition to that, a fighter who misses weight will have his or her win bonus fined 20 percent, with that full total going to the opponent. The win bonus fine will only come into play, of course, if the fighter who misses weight is victorious in the bout.

Foster said the win bonus in MMA should be treated as part of the purse by the commission in these circumstances, adding that just a 20-percent fine of the show money is “not enough deterrent” for fighters to make weight. He added that giving more money to the opponent who makes weight and then loses to a fighter who missed weight would hopefully “take some sting off them.”

In addition to that change, a host of potential new provisions to combat extreme weight cutting were discussed. CSAC chairman John Carvelli launched a sub-committee to further go over possible changes to California regulations with weight cutting in mind. Carvelli told MMA Fighting that he expects the sub-committee to come up with a package of rules for the commission’s next meeting, May 16 in Costa Mesa.

Among the potential proposals brought up by Foster on Tuesday were licensing fighters by weight class with additions to the licensing application; random weight checks; asking fighters whether they have ever missed weight before in the application questionnaire; and having promotion matchmakers submit the weights of the fighter to the commission when the bout is signed. Also, an increase in the 20-percent fine on fighters who miss weight was mentioned.

CSAC to fine win bonus, in addition to show money, if fighter misses weight

 

[Robbie Hart]

Commission should get 1%, fighter everything else

 

[SuperPig]

Good.

 

[Chromium]

How is this not already the case? Better late than never I guess...

 

[Onetrickpony]

This isn't a bad idea either.

 

[Mishima Zaibatsu]

Im curious if this for better or worse.

Will it make fighters not take the chance of big risky cuts or will it just make fighters endanger themselves even more to get too the limit?

 

[Onetrickpony]

Im curious if this for better or worse.

Will it make fighters not take the chance of big risky cuts or will it just make fighters endanger themselves even more to get too the limit?

Even though I agree with bigger fines I think it's deplorable that it was the first thing done. It sure seems like a conflict of interest when the commission will profit from a fighters missing weight.

There are other things that would be easy to do that would have a greater benefit than fining fighters. They already send someone out to test blood and piss just have them check weight at the same time. If they were to start weighing fighters a month out to ensure that they are within a certain range of their weight class (maybe 8-10%) that will stop they huge weight cuts.

 

[The Sound of Violence]

Foster is ahead of his time. Good to see the full 20% of win money would go to the opponent. Now if he can only change it to make all of the show money fine go to the opponent also...

 

[kneeblock]

Even though I agree with bigger fines I think it's deplorable that it was the first thing done. It sure seems like a conflict of interest when the commission will profit from a fighters missing weight.

There are other things that would be easy to do that would have a greater benefit than fining fighters. They already send someone out to test blood and piss just have them check weight at the same time. If they were to start weighing fighters a month out to ensure that they are within a certain range of their weight class (maybe 8-10%) that will stop they huge weight cuts.

The full 20% of the win bonus goes to the opponent.

 

[Onetrickpony]

Read the article last night and somehow that shit slipped my mind when I wrote that post this morning. I realized what I'd done tonight and was hoping no one would notice. In my defence I'm sick as fuck with the flu right now and may be hitting the NyQuil a little too hard.

I still don't like that the first thing they did was increase fines but I'm happy that at least the other fighter will profit from it.

 

[Dat Pre-HollyHolm Ronda $]

"win bonus fined 20 percent, with that full total going to the opponent"

Hell yeah! Just as it should be

 

[Leigh]

Weigh in as you step in the cage. I know I say it all the time but it would all but eradicate weight cutting overnight.

 

[Onetrickpony]

Weigh in as you step in the cage. I know I say it all the time but it would all but eradicate weight cutting overnight.

I would be ok with that if you weighed in the day before and then had a 3-5 pound either way grace. Otherwise you would have to watch every drop of water and piece of food leading up to the cage. I'm not a pro fighter but I think there's enough stress on them before a fight without having to worry about that.

 

[Leigh]

I would be ok with that if you weighed in the day before and then had a 3-5 pound either way grace. Otherwise you would have to watch every drop of water and piece of food leading up to the cage. I'm not a pro fighter but I think there's enough stress on them before a fight without having to worry about that.

I've done lots of cuts with day before weigh ins and lots of BJJ comps where I weigh in as I step on the mat. Same day weigh ins are WAY better, cos cutting weight fucking sucks.