BoxRec

I've worked with many professional boxers and mma fighters as their nutritionist.

I have also worked within the requirements of the IBF rules for check weigh ins, all this did was add one more consideration to get around.

week before the fight weight waking weight was 11st 2lb.

Fight was at 10st 7lb, weighed in at 10st 6lb 6oz at 2pm, by 6.30pm weight was 11st 11lb. By 11pm weight was 11st 9lb. Woke up at 11st 2lb 6oz, so just under the 10lb limit, had a small breakfast, went to check weigh in at 9am, made weight and then went in to the ring at 11st 5.5lb at 10pm. So this is easily manipulated too.

The bigger issue however is what the day before weigh ins have created. Which is most boxers focussing more on making weight and starving themselves in to weight so badly that straight after the fight they are blowing up in weight and having to drop 15% of their body weight from start of camp to weighing in. There's some fighters who are really going to struggle with health issues at the end of their career. Many have real issues around food as it is.

What should be in place is samr day weigh ins with a check weigh in before ring walk. Boxing has become obsessed with weight making.

In the past i have fully exploited my ability to get a fighter to make weight by agreeing bonuses for making weight and further bonuses for winning, but now i see 3 fight novices dehydrating to crash their weight off and managers, coached and promoters not having a clue, it's becoming very dangerous.

Boxing just needs to get back to being a sport rather than a weight making contest too. Maybe opening weight categories up to a weight range would cancel out this problem longer term.

Kingfield wrote:I've worked with many professional boxers and mma fighters as their nutritionist.

I have also worked within the requirements of the IBF rules for check weigh ins, all this did was add one more consideration to get around.

week before the fight weight waking weight was 11st 2lb.

Fight was at 10st 7lb, weighed in at 10st 6lb 6oz at 2pm, by 6.30pm weight was 11st 11lb. By 11pm weight was 11st 9lb. Woke up at 11st 2lb 6oz, so just under the 10lb limit, had a small breakfast, went to check weigh in at 9am, made weight and then went in to the ring at 11st 5.5lb at 10pm. So this is easily manipulated too.

The bigger issue however is what the day before weigh ins have created. Which is most boxers focussing more on making weight and starving themselves in to weight so badly that straight after the fight they are blowing up in weight and having to drop 15% of their body weight from start of camp to weighing in. There's some fighters who are really going to struggle with health issues at the end of their career. Many have real issues around food as it is.

What should be in place is samr day weigh ins with a check weigh in before ring walk. Boxing has become obsessed with weight making.

In the past i have fully exploited my ability to get a fighter to make weight by agreeing bonuses for making weight and further bonuses for winning, but now i see 3 fight novices dehydrating to crash their weight off and managers, coached and promoters not having a clue, it's becoming very dangerous.

Boxing just needs to get back to being a sport rather than a weight making contest too. Maybe opening weight categories up to a weight range would cancel out this problem longer term.

Damn good post mate.

Kingfield wrote:I've worked with many professional boxers and mma fighters as their nutritionist.

I have also worked within the requirements of the IBF rules for check weigh ins, all this did was add one more consideration to get around.

week before the fight weight waking weight was 11st 2lb.

Fight was at 10st 7lb, weighed in at 10st 6lb 6oz at 2pm, by 6.30pm weight was 11st 11lb. By 11pm weight was 11st 9lb. Woke up at 11st 2lb 6oz, so just under the 10lb limit, had a small breakfast, went to check weigh in at 9am, made weight and then went in to the ring at 11st 5.5lb at 10pm. So this is easily manipulated too.

The bigger issue however is what the day before weigh ins have created. Which is most boxers focussing more on making weight and starving themselves in to weight so badly that straight after the fight they are blowing up in weight and having to drop 15% of their body weight from start of camp to weighing in. There's some fighters who are really going to struggle with health issues at the end of their career. Many have real issues around food as it is.

What should be in place is samr day weigh ins with a check weigh in before ring walk. Boxing has become obsessed with weight making.

In the past i have fully exploited my ability to get a fighter to make weight by agreeing bonuses for making weight and further bonuses for winning, but now i see 3 fight novices dehydrating to crash their weight off and managers, coached and promoters not having a clue, it's becoming very dangerous.

Boxing just needs to get back to being a sport rather than a weight making contest too. Maybe opening weight categories up to a weight range would cancel out this problem longer term.

Thanks for the insight.

One thing... Don't we already have ranges? You can weigh anything up to 160 to make Middle, for example. Just that everyone tries to as close to the wire as they can?