Weight cuts in the UFC are a common practice where fighters lose more than 10 kilos in a few days through dehydration, fasting, and sauna sessions. This process, while allowing them to make the agreed weight, creates risks such as kidney failure or fainting. The recent case of Khamzat Chimaev, who was unable to compete due to physical problems during the cut, reopens the debate on its safety and regulation.
Technology and development: solutions to avoid extreme dehydration 💧
The sports industry is developing less aggressive methods, such as bioimpedance scales that measure hydration in real time, or controlled intravenous rehydration programs. Personalized diets with algorithms that calculate water loss without reaching critical levels are also being researched. However, the UFC maintains a system where weight is checked 24 hours before, forcing athletes to resort to risky techniques to comply.
Chimaev: the fighter who went overboard and ended up without a fight 😅
Khamzat Chimaev wanted to be the fastest to make weight, but his body said enough. Amidst sweats and fasts, his system collapsed and the fight went down the drain. The funny thing is, while he was dehydrating, his rivals were perhaps toasting with water. In the end, the only KO of the night was his own metabolism. The moral: losing weight is not a race, even though it sometimes seems like a contest of who suffers the most.