Question about weightclasses

[p4p1]

Maybe someone will know this for sure but have they always been about money?
I assume at some point a fighter/manager or promoter worked out that their good but undersized fighter could make more money as a champion who can beat anyone under 150lbs than he ever could getting smacked around by top guys who just outsized him?

[Controversial]

It's normally about calculated risks and timing. Also of course most smaller fighters have a limit to how successful they will be at a higher weight. So they might fancy there chances against the weaker champ the next weight up but not fancy fighting the best in that division. RJJ challenging Ruiz springs to mind, he didn't hang about to challenge Lennox. I'm sure other things sway their decisions to fight bigger guys too, probably rumours on the circuit that the other guy is looking shot or has an injury which tips the scales in their favour.

[p4p1]

It's normally about calculated risks and timing. Also of course most smaller fighters have a limit to how successful they will be at a higher weight. So they might fancy there chances against the weaker champ the next weight up but not fancy fighting the best in that division. RJJ challenging Ruiz springs to mind, he didn't hang about to challenge Lennox. I'm sure other things sway their decisions to fight bigger guys too, probably rumours on the circuit that the other guy is looking shot or has an injury which tips the scales in their favour.

I was referring to the creation of weight classes rather than the calculated risks you mentioned once they were well established. RJJ was a great example though of the calculated risks.

In most sports we don't separate people based on height or weight other than combat sports. So my thoughts were that at some point someone has had to come up with yes he might not be able to beat X but he can beat any man that weighs the same as him.

[Stevieaber]

Harks back to the early days of the (bare knuckle) sport with the start of weight divisions being created to make fights fairer for smaller men. I believe light and middle weight were the 1st “extra” weights added. National Sporting Club in London listed a number of different weights in 1909 (I believe)and extra weights have then been added over the years to continue the trend to the point where there’s now often a weight only one good meal away from the next one.