This article is part of our MMA Barometer series.
As the sport of mixed martial arts evolves, so do the policies designed to protect the healthy and safety of fighters. These rules and regulations are typically implemented and monitored by state athletic commissions. The newest rules concerning weigh-in procedures were introduced two weeks ago at UFC 199 by the California State Athletic Commission, and will continue at this week's event in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The underlying goal of the new procedure is to give the fighters increased time to rehydrate, thus increasing the time for fighters to rehydrate the area around their brain, and presumably reducing the risk of brain trauma as they absorb blows to the head.
The new policy works like this: fighters are allowed to come to a predetermined location and weigh in at any time between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., as opposed to the typical 4 p.m. televised weigh-in. This gives the fighters two advantages: (1) they are given potentially six additional hours to hydrate; and (2) fighters can go straight from the sauna/treadmill/etc. to the scale instead of having to wait backstage (while dehydrated) to have their name called during the televised weigh-in segment. Furthermore, doctors will be on hand and have the ability to use different tests to monitor fighter hydration. If a fighter is deemed to be severely dehydrated, the doctors will give them a plan to enhance hydration, and if the fighter is still determined to be severely dehydrated on fight day, he could be pulled from the fight. However, doctors will lean more towards letting the fighters fight as the goal of the new policy is not to disqualify fighters -- the goal is to instead allow them more time to rehydrate so it is safer on fight day and there is less of a chance of brain trauma.
Many fighters support this new policy, as it eliminates their time in limbo back stage while they wait for their name to be called. For example, both Dominick Cruz and Luke Rockhold voiced their support when the policy was implemented at UFC 199. This will also give an advantage to fighters who cut a lot of weight, because they will presumably feel better on fight day with the additional time to rehydrate. The argument could be made that fighters will not be able to cut as much weight because of the ability of doctors to pull them from a fight if severe dehydration is detected, but as stated above, the doctors will presumably lean toward not pulling a fighter from an event. Expect to see an improvement in the performance of many fighters, and a likely improvement in those fighters who are large for their division and cut a significant amount of weight (e.g. Gleison Tibau).
After seeing it in practice already, this appears to be an outstanding new policy, as it is encouraging to see athletic commissions taking a greater interest in fighter health, particularly brain health. Hopefully more athletic commissions follow the lead of the California State Athletic Commission and implement the new policy. It will also only be an added bonus for fans, as fighter performance is bound to improve as they are better hydrated on fight night.
As always, below is your MMA barometer with rising, falling, and check status fighters.
Rising
Patrick Cote
Since moving down to welterweight three years ago, Patrick Cote has been victorious in five out of six fights. His sole loss came via decision to Stephen "Wonderboy" Thompson, who will be headlining the UFC Fight Night card this weekend in Canada. This is impressive because "Wonderboy" is riding a six-fight winning streak, and most recently finished Johny Hendricks in the first round, which is no small feat. Cote is a former middleweight title challenger, where he lost to Anderson Silva when he suffered a devastating knee injury. A few more wins at welterweight should put him into title contention at 170 pounds. He had incredible knockout power at middleweight, and that power has transferred well to welterweight, as Cote's last two victories have come via KO/TKO against two tough opponents in Ben Saunders and Joshua Burkman. Cote will once again be able to put his striking to the test as he squares off with Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone on Saturday. Cerrone is a formidable matchup for any fighter at welterweight or lightweight, but Cote should hold a significant size advantage against Cerrone, which could be a big factor. Cerrone should have the speed advantage, but as a former lightweight, these fighters are essentially two weight classes apart. This should allow Cote to control the fight, and possibly make it dirtier by roughing up Cerrone along the fence. There is a strong possibility that Cote's size advantage will allow him to continue his streak and break into the UFC welterweight rankings.
Next Fight: Donald Cerrone, UFC Fight Night: MacDonald vs. Thompson (June 18, 2016)
Dominic Cruz
While concluding his trilogy with Urijah Faber at UFC 199, Dominick Cruz looked utterly dominant, winning virtually every round. It seemed as if Cruz shook of some of the ring rust he showed when he won a razor thin slit decision against T.J. Dillashaw in January. Cruz looked sharp against Faber, as he dropped him twice throughout the fight and even won the majority of the scrambles, which are usually Faber's forte. The ability to knock Faber down was unexpected, as Faber is generally a durable fighter, and Cruz is known for having brittle hands that limit his power because he has to protect them from being broken. If Cruz is able to display this type of power on a consistent basis, he will be virtually unbeatable because of his confusing style. He uses impeccable footwork and movement to stay away from his opponent and buzz in and out, which makes it almost impossible for his opponents to find him and land meaningful punches or take him down. After beating Faber, a perennial top-five ranked UFC bantamweight, so convincingly, it is hard to imagine anybody in the bantamweight division being able to dethrone the champion Cruz. There is a possibility Dillashaw will be able to give him a challenging fight, but after seeing the improvement Cruz showed from the Dillashaw fight to the Faber fight, that seems like a longshot. The most sensible matchup for Cruz at this point will be if flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson moves up to challenge for the bantamweight title. Johnson has been resistant to this proposal, but it would be a phenomenal fight, as the two fighters possess some of the best movement skills in the sport. Hopefully the fight can come to fruition so mixed martial arts fans can witness two masters of the sport pit their skills against one another.
Next fight: TBA
Cody Garbrandt
Another possible challenger to Cruz's bantamweight champion is Team Alpha Male product Cody Garbrandt. Garbrandt is fairly new to the sport, as he only has nine professional fights, but he has won all of them. This includes four wins in a row in the UFC, with three coming by KO/TKO. Garbrandt has arguably the most power in the UFC bantamweight division, and that was on display in his last fight against fellow undefeated bantamweight prospect Thomas Almeida. Almeida was the favorite in the fight, as he was vastly more experienced at 21-0, but Garbrandt showed his boxing skills by hunting down Almeida and finishing him off with a devastating right hand, followed up by a few punches on the ground. "No Love" is now the No.7-ranked UFC bantamweight, and even though he is inexperienced, is probably only two wins away from a title shot. His style may be the best chance to beat Cruz, because it only takes one shot for Garbrandt to end any fight. However, he may not be fast enough to find Cruz and land that big shot. Whether he would be successful against Cruz or not, Garbrandt should certainly be the favorite in any other bantamweight bout at this point. His sprawl and brawl style has proved effective, and there is no reason to doubt him until somebody proves they can solve his style and deal with his power.
Next Fight: TBA
Check Status
Carlos Condit
Condit has been in limbo since his controversial split decision loss to UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. Condit voiced his displeasure with the decision and has hinted at retirement since the loss. He recently revealed that the only fights that really interest him are a rematch with Lawler or another fight with Nick Diaz, who he beat by unanimous decision for the interim UFC welterweight title in 2012. Condit has been staying in shape, but has not been interested in any fights since his loss. "The Natural Born Killer" is one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, so it would be a shame if he retired, so hopefully an opportunity presents itself for Condit to get back in the game. Condit also said he would be ready should Woodley become injured before his title fight against Lawler at UFC 201 in late July. However, at this point it seems like Nick Diaz might be a more realistic option, as Diaz is eligible to return from his suspension in August 2016. Until that time, Condit will still be regarded as a top-five UFC welterweight and one of the most exciting fighters in the world.
Next Fight: TBA
Falling
Renan Barao
After winning 32 fights in a row Renan Barao has fallen on hard times, losing three of his last four. In two of those losses, Barao was outclassed by T.J. Dillashaw and had no answers. Barao then used a typical strategy for struggling fighters by moving weight classes – making the jump from bantamweight to featherweight. However, his featherweight debut was spoiled by veteran Jeremy Stephens, who beat Barao convincingly by unanimous decision. It seems that Barao's problem is more of a mental one, as he doesn't let himself go as much as he did during his dominant run in the bantamweight division. Barao used to be one of the most creative fighters in the UFC, but in his latest fights, even his submission win over Mitch Gagnon, Barao seemed to freeze up and employ a style that is too conservative. When he was on his streak, he was more confident and did truly spectacular things in the Octagon. Now, Barao needs to break through his mental barrier to get back to the fighter he once was. After his weight cutting issues at bantamweight, it is probably in his best interest to stay at featherweight, and hopefully he can get a few easier fights to get his confidence back and turn back into the dominant finisher mixed martial arts fans know he can be.
Next Fight: TBA
Ricardo Lamas
Even though Ricardo Lamas is on the falling list, it is not to say he is a bad fighter. He simply has not displayed the ability to compete with the elite fighters of the UFC featherweight division. Lamas has shown he can beat middle of the road fighters, but in his fights against Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, and Max Holloway, he has been badly outclassed. There is always room for improvement for fighters, but at 34 years old, Lamas is on the back end of his career. At this point, he has been relegated to more of a gatekeeper status, but will still be a tough test for any fighter looking to break into title contention. In his last two losses, Lamas has had a difficult time dealing with the speed and athleticism of championship contenders Holloway and Chad Mendes. He is always a game fighter, as was displayed at the end of the Holloway fight, but it will be hard for Lamas to get another title shot because of his lack of success against top-tier fighters in the division.
Next Fight: TBA
