5 UFC fighters who benefitted from a switch in weight class
Almost every division in the UFC is a shark tank. Fighters tend to switch weight classes for a variety of reasons in MMA. Some might prefer moving to a higher division to avoid difficult weight cuts or moving to a lower division to gain a size advantage, while others switch divisions in search of better stylistic matchups.
Most recently, the likes of Kevin Holland and Dan Hooker have hinted at moving one weight class down as they look to get their UFC careers back on track.
45 look alive. https://t.co/JU0pl0tKkV
Dan Hooker, who once competed in the featherweight division, opted to move to the lightweight division in 2017 and plied his trade at 155 lbs thereafter. However, ‘The Hangman’ recently revealed that he is targeting a return to the 145 lbs division. He also alluded to the advancements in the science of weight cutting and the state-of-the-art facilities on offer at the UFC Performance Institute.
In a recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Hooker said:
“From when I was there in the past and to where I am now, just obviously the science and the people that are a part of the UFC, like Charles [Stull] ‘The Angry Dietician,’ the fight dietician that I work very closely with, and Clint [Wattenberg] and the people at the PI [UFC Performance Institute] have all been — it’s been smooth sailing. That took me all of two weeks to get down and cut to that weight, so if I can do it in two weeks on holiday, you give me a fight, that’s a whole different story.”
Watch Dan Hooker’s full interview on The MMA Hour below:
That being said, we thought we’d take a look at five UFC fighters who have benefitted from moving to a different weight class. We won’t be considering one-time moves or fighters chasing double-champ status for the sake of it, like Conor McGregor’s move to 155 lbs to take on Eddie Alvarez (after which he went on to lose his next three bouts in the division) or Georges St-Pierre’s move to 185 lbs to fight Michael Bisping.
Rather, we considered UFC fighters who have enjoyed a career resurgence thanks to a switch in weight class. Perhaps they were enduring a turbulent run in another division and opted to go up or down a weight class in order to save their career, or they weren’t getting the notoriety they wanted in a particular division. A switch in weight class opens up a whole new chapter in a fighter’s career.
Honorable mentions include Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson, Jared Cannonier, Charles Oliveira and Robert Whittaker. Let’s take a look at five UFC fighters who have changed the course of their career thanks to a change in weight class.
#5. Jorge Masvidal's move to the UFC welterweight division
Jorge Masvidal has been in the UFC for a very long time. After joining the promotion in 2013 as part of the UFC’s acquisition of Strikeforce, Masvidal competed in the lightweight division for a few years. He endured a tumultuous run in the lightweight division, picking up losses to Rustam Khabilov and Al Iaquinta, and opted to move up to welterweight soon after.
‘Gamebred’ infamously struggled with the weight-cut, as depicted in a video posted to his official YouTube channel.
You can watch the video below:
Since moving to the welterweight division, Masvidal has enjoyed a much better run. The Miami native made his way into the top 10 in the rankings before taking a year-long hiatus from the sport. Upon his return to the UFC octagon, Masvidal emerged as a new fighter altogether.
He returned to action against Darren Till in the main event of a UFC Fight Night in London. He silenced the crowd by knocking the Englishman out cold in devastating fashion. It was his next bout, however, that shot Masvidal into superstardom.
‘Gamebred’ was booked to fight Ben Askren at UFC 239. Famously, he knocked the outspoken wrestler out just 5 seconds into the bout with a flying knee heard around the world.
One year ago today at UFC 239, @GamebredFighter knocked out Ben Askren in 5 seconds making it the fastest KO in UFC history 🦵
https://t.co/EVdtXK94oT
Masvidal emerged as one of the biggest draws in the sport after the viral 5-second knockout. Subsequently, he took on fellow fan-favorite and superstar Nate Diaz for the symbolic BMF belt at Madison Square Garden in New York City. ‘Gamebred’ pieced up Diaz for three rounds before the doctor was forced to stop the fight.
Despite Masvidal’s recent shortcomings against UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, the switch to welterweight changed the course of his career and life forever. It saw him evolve from being a solid fighter on the roster to one of the biggest names and best-paid athletes in the sport.