Issue 083
December 2011
Anthony Njokuani
UFC lightweight and Muay Thai specialist
YES
Yes. In fact a champ shouldn’t be able to change weight class and fight for a title at all. That’s unfair for the other fighter who’s worked so hard to get that title. All that blood, sweat and tears that fighters put in to get titles, it’s just not right to allow it just because the fighter feels it’s in his best interests to do that. Also, the fighter who is dropping down the weight division is gonna be a lot bigger so there’s an unfair size advantage. They’ll be a lot stronger so they’ll be more likely to dominate. Fighters should just concentrate on holding on and defending the belt in their own weight class. If they lose the belt then there’s nothing wrong with dropping and challenging for the belt in a lower weight. But if they don’t lose, why not just keep fighting competition and keep on proving yourself in your own weight class?
Ross Pearson
British scrapper in the UFC’s 145lb division
NO
Dana White said Frankie Edgar would have to give up his title if he wanted to drop the weight and fight José Aldo for the 145lb title, but I have to disagree. It’s possible for Frankie to make the weight. I don’t see why he shouldn’t fight for the featherweight title and still hold the lightweight title. Anderson Silva was a champion at middleweight yet he was competing at light heavyweight. Even in the past, BJ Penn was the lightweight champion and fought GSP for the welterweight title. It brings more interest having two world champions. You see it all the time in boxing where they go up and down the weights and are competing in different weights. Say if Georges St Pierre was to go up to middleweight and fight Anderson Silva, that would be amazing for the sport so I don’t see it as a problem.
What you had to say on the matter ...
YES
“Yes, I think they should be given the interim belt with number-one contender status
and let two other guys in the division fight.”
@MARCHANTGEORGE
NO
“It limits how often each title can be defended, but if they can easily lower or up their weight between classes then why not let them?”
@DYOMUN
NO
“No, because when push comes to shove fighting is all about who is the very best. So if you have two, three titles you’re the best!”
@SHANNON_M_BLAKE
NO
“Why should they? Unless it is a permanent weight class change then yes, but a fighter who is willing to defend titles then why not?”
@WILLMANWAY
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