Ohio installs cruiserweight division for amateurs

The Ohio Athletic Commission has instituted a 206-225lbs. weight class for amateur competition in order to protect young and inexperienced heavyweights.

The current weight classes recognized by the NSAC are...

Flyweight (125lbs.)
Bantamweight (135lbs.)
Featherweight (145lbs.)
Lightweight (155lbs.)
Welterweight (170lbs.)
Middleweight (185lbs.)
Light Heavyweight (205lbs.)
Heavyweight (265lbs.)
Super Heavyweight (>265lbs.)

Cruiserweight would bridge the gap between light heavyweight and heavyweight which currently is a 60lbs. difference. Pro fighters who would fit into the cruiserweight division include Forrest Griffin, Minotauro Nogueira, and Mirko Cro Cop, assuming a reasonable ten pound weight cut.

In contrast, boxing has adopted seventeen weight classes from 105lbs. to above 200lbs.. Like in MMA, the difference between weight classes increases as the weights get heavier, starting at about three or four pounds and moving up to a 25lbs. jump from cruiserweight to heavyweight. There is a discrepancy in boxing as well where you will see fighters such as Nikolai Valuev (7'/315lbs.) fight guys 100lbs. lighter, such as David Haye.

There is a theory that more weight classes would diminish weight cutting which is a dangerous and sometimes fatal strategy. Some pro fighters (including Gleison Tibau, Thiago Alves, Forrest Griffin, and others) cut upwards of 25lbs. going into a fight to make weight. Not only is this a risk for the fighter, it also creates a situation where the sport of weight cutting can create an imbalance in a fight. Think of the Tibau/Uno fight from UFC 111 where Uno was significantly smaller than Tibau and was rag-dolled in the fight.

Some have suggested that the weight classes be realigned so that there are only 10lbs. increments up to 200lbs. at which point the cruiserweight division (225lbs.), heavyweight division (265lbs.), and super heavyweight (266lbs.+) divisions still show a jump, as below:

Flyweight (125lbs.)
Bantamweight (135lbs.)
Featherweight (145lbs.)
Lightweight (155lbs.)
Welterweight (165lbs.)
Super Welterweight (175lbs.)
Middleweight (185lbs.)
Super Middleweight (195lbs.)
Light Heavyweight (205lbs.)
Cruiserweight (225lbs.)
Heavyweight (265lbs.)
Super Heavyweight (>265lbs.)

Some will argue that too many belts waters down the quality of the divisions, especially for title fights. Also, there is still the wrestling mentality that a fighter should compete at the lowest weight possible by cutting as much weight as he can in order to give himself the biggest size advantage in the fight--possibly encouraging already shredded fighters to push to make one weight class lower when they otherwise wouldn't.

However, more weight classes allows fighters more flexibility to move between classes and contend for multiple championships. Splitting welterweight into 165lbs. and 175lbs. creates a situation in which multi-class fighters such as BJ Penn could compete for three titles, supposing they aren't forced to vacate as they move up. It also allows "in-between" fighters such as Rashad Evans (195lbs.) and Pat Barry (225lbs.) to settle into more natural classes.

The boxing argument also is not applicable because there is only one recognized title per promotion (despite the best efforts of WAMMA). There is no confusion about who is a disputed or an undisputed champion unless an interim belt is created.