Heavyweight or Superheavyweight?

[The Crock]

Now, we all know that the UFC does not have a Superheavyweight division, and I'm not saying that there is a need for one, but.... A few years ago all the emphasis in the Heavyweight division was on smaller guys, smaller heavyweights, but as of late they have been muscled out by huge "monster" heavyweights. Many of the smaller heavyweights are better at LHW, meanwhile guys like Lesnar would honestly qualify better for a Superheavyweight division, almost like Bob Sapp. Why is this trend happening? Have we seen the last of the small heavyweight?

I think that this might be a coincidence and that it isn't the end of the smaller heavyweight. At some point the smaller heavyweights will start trickling back into the fold and start winning fights. Guys like Carwin an Lesnar don't come around all the time, they're a rare breed. Now guys like Cro Cop or Couture are much more available and they are of a more "average" build.

What do you guys think?

 

[Buffalo Dave]

Well the Heavyweight division has the biggest range in weight requirements, it goes form 205 - 265. So there is always a variety of different size fighters in the division. I would agree that the behemoths like Brock and Carwin are definitely a rare breed. We seen Mir bulk up to try and take on those two and that still didn't seem to work. There are others that fight right at the max weight as well but they don't look as big as Brock and Carwin because they're not as defined as them. I would say most Heavyweights these days fight around the 240 mark. Guys like JDS, Velasquez are prime examples of that. Both of those guys are below the Super Heavyweight division, and our ripping through competition.

So yeah the smaller Heavyweights are slowly weaning out for the most part. Like I said most guys are fighting around the 240 mark or higher. I think a lot has to do with how the MMA just keeps developing and everyone is becoming well rounded. With that it forces the smaller guys to either get bigger or drop down. Although some of the smaller Heavyweights still can hold their own though, take a look at Fedor, he fights right around 230 and rocked Brett Rogers in their fight, while withstanding some big shots from Rogers himself, who is one of the bigger guys. For the most part though as long as the Brock's are at the top of the division guys will have no choice but to be bigger to take them on.

 

[ITurnGirlsGay]

They do not need a Super Heavyweight division. There's a limited number of people who weigh in at above 265 or who can't make that cut. What they might want to look at is a 206-230 Cruiserweight division to separate some of the behemoths from those who simply cannot compete with men pushing the 250-265 mark.

This is just a solution to the question that you're asking. Personally, I think the HW division is fine how it is. Until Lesnar there's never been a size that has proven insurmountable and Lesnar still hasn't ran roughshod through that division. Carwin gave him massive problems in the first and he still needs to get past Velasquez.

Super HW has always been a limited division because most of the people that compete at that size are either just fat (Butterbean) or freaks of nature (Hong Man Choi). Neither of those men have any sort of successful future in MMA.

 

[Uncle Phatso]

Honestly heavyweight is just that, a heavyweight. If a lighter man, much lighter than the higher weights can learn his trade and become good at it , i would take a smaller well trained heavyweight over a heavy handed fat head. Honestly you will in the next five years not see a Roy nelson in the ufc again, a great honestly fat grappler. Just because it says heavyweight dosn't meen fat. Most fighters into this division are just comming out of the 205 due to weight cutting issues or they are just big dudes. And as age hits the heavy heavyweights they will eventuallly fall into the relms of the superheavyweight.

Honestly i think most supers are kind of a sideshow attraction. They are either freakishly tall or just insainly obesse. I dont see the need for this division honestly other than to let the taller fighters fight. I don't need to see a 6'4 man who weighs 400 pounds take on a 220 fighter ever again its kind of like i said just a sideshow.

I personally grapple in the heavyweight division and i wrestled in highschool at the highend of the heavyweight division, just like in grappling and fighting just because you are big, does not nessassarly proclaim you the winner. I was beaten by a few 215 bumpups that were just honestly beter than me. But the weight and strength displacement does have some berrings in this to.

 

[One to Remember]

if a guy is having issues against another guy dont try to train harder or develop a new strategy just send him off to another division by truncating your own division is what im getting here. Although I respect the weight classes being separated in some regards i feel the UFC having these classes really is one more chip off of what the U and the F in UFC used to stand for. As far as the super heavyweight division is concerned i dont hear to much about it in wrestling. I feel like once you get big enough for the heavyweight division you should be open to all challenges. i feel like the heavyweight division is the universal class. It might be best to have a Junior heavyweight or crusierweight division but a super heavyweight division is a step in the wrong direction.

 

[Via Armbar]

I think the fact that the weight allowance is the largest for any division actually makes things more interesting. Usually when people complain about the need for a super heavyweight division they are Lesnar haters and think the only thing allowing him to dominate is his size. It's not like he misses weight or anything, it's all fair game. Nobody has really complained about Carwin having to cut weight yet, just Brock pretty much. So the division would consist of two guys? Doesn't sound very exciting.

You would have to supply a whole new division with ample competition. They have had trouble finding legitimate threats for their title holders in past and their are many more fighters in those classes then there are at over 265. Also, what are the odds of finding guys that are naturally that big and as athletically gifted as Lesnar and Carwin? You look at other super heavyweights and it isn't exactly an impressive list. It would probably end up looking like a division full of Tim Sylvia's. Sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it. No one wants to watch fat guys gas out after 4 minutes of action.

So no, I don't think it's something they should do. If anything, they should add a featherweight division; it's far more exciting and there are far more fighters to build. Aldo is looking to claim a very high spot on the P4P lists and would be a great addition to the UFC as would most of the WEC's featherweight division. Even that though isn't really necessary. There are enough titles as is right now and adding one more really does nothing for casual or die hard mma fans really.