UFC Rio 2012: Anthony Johnson's Weight Issue Shines Light on Problems in MMA

Not long after losing to Vitor Belfort at UFC 142 on Saturday night, Anthony Johnson found himself out of a job. UFC president Dana White made the announcement after the event, which was not a surprise considering all the problems Johnson has had making weight. 

But Johnson's weight issues are just the tip of the iceberg in the sport of mixed martial arts and proves that there should be drastic changes made to the way that fighters are required to weigh-in in order to compete. 

The Johnson vs. Belfort bout was supposed to be contested as a middleweight fight, which means both men had to weigh no more than 185 pounds. But on Saturday, the day after both men weighed in, there were reports that Belfort was going to be up over 200 pounds.  

So what is the point of the weigh-in? What is the point of telling these fighters that they have to cut down to a certain weight only to have them beef right back up to where they are comfortable just 24 hours later?

Think about how stupid this whole argument involving Johnson and his weight is right now. He got fired for weighing too much, but when the time came for the actual fight, Belfort probably weighed as much as Johnson did anyway, and neither one of them were close to the actual weight they were to be fighting at. 

It's not like this is anything new. As long as there have been fighters weighing in 24 hours before their bout, there have been fighters that bulk up to gain an advantage on the night that they step into the Octagon. 

If UFC wants to really drop the hammer on fighters for not making weight, make it so they have to weigh-in on the day of the fight. 

The purpose of having weight classes is to separate fighters whose body type doesn't lend itself to competing in heavier groups and from dominating against smaller fighters who can't physically match-up with large fighters. 

But if Johnson or Belfort or any other mixed martial artist is just going to give a middle finger to the entire system, why bother having people cut pounds just for an appearance at a weigh-in when it has no bearing on what either fighter actually weighs in on fight night. 

Johnson lost his job because he weighed as much as Belfort did, but he couldn't put on a show in front of the cameras at a weigh-in. 

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