CSAC Passes Rule To Cancel Fights Due To Extreme Weight Cutting

The California State Athletic Commission (CSAC) has been at the forefront of weight cutting issues for several years now.

A big move has been taken recently by the CSAC as the commission voted and passed a new rule this past Tuesday according to Marc Raimondi of ESPN, with that rule being that a fight will get canceled if a fighter comes in over 15% of their weigh-in weight on fight day.

For example, if a fighter weighs in the day before a scheduled bout at 205 pounds and comes in on fight day at 237 pounds, which is above the 15% weight rule, the bout would then be canceled. 

CSAC Executive Officer Andy Foster says that new rule was put in place for the health and safety of the fighters, plus to curb sanctioned cheating.

“To me, that’s a health and safety issue,” Foster said. “It’s sanctioned cheating.”

Raimondi also cites the recent UFC 241 card that was held in California, stating that of the new rule was passed before the event, a total of four to five of the bouts on the card would’ve been canceled. 

Foster also says a lot of the weight issues fighters face are fixable and that the competitors aren’t bound to just a single weight class.

“This is a fixable issue,” Foster said. “Pretending like we’re bound to these weight classes like they’re set in stone and fighters can’t move up, frankly it’s not healthy.”

There has yet to be any comments from the UFC, Bellator MMA or any other promotion or its fighters on the new rule passed by the CSAC.