To Cut or Not to Cut: Nutrition in Fighting

The Prologue

There is a great debate out there in the fighting world: to cut or not to cut. Weight, that is. Be it wrestling, boxing, or mixed martial arts, any sport that divides up its contenders by weight classes is facing this question. As I sat with my roommate watching the weigh-ins on a UFC fight night, he explained that some of these athletes had stopped eating and drinking (everything!) for upwards of a day or more. This sounded like crazy talk to me. As a former athlete, a budding nutritionist, and a believer in common sense, the idea of not fueling or hydrating your body in the critical window leading up to a high-impact performance in the cage–to be blunt–is stupid.

So many aspects of this situation are unsavory to me, it’s hard to know where to start.