CSAC to Cancel Bout When Fighter Checks in 15 Percent Above Contracted Weight

The California State Athletic Commission took a stance against extreme weight cutting on Tuesday, as it passed a rule that would cancel a fight if an athlete weights 15 percent or more above his or her contracted weight on the day of the event.

ESPN.com was first to report the new measure, which passed by a 5-0 vote at a commission hearing. Promoters, managers, trainers and matchmakers are all expected to make sure that fighters adhere to the rule.

The rule is designed to prevent the health issues and dehydration that arise from extreme weight cutting as well as limit the size disparities between competitors on fight night. For example, if a welterweight fighter checks in at more than 195.4 pounds on the day of his or her bout, the contest will be scrapped.

"To me, that's a health and safety issue," CSAC executive officer Andy Foster told ESPN. "It's sanctioned cheating.”

Foster says that it will take approximately a year for the rule to be active, as it must first go through the state's legislative process.

According to CSAC data, 28 MMA bouts out of the 285 held from January to October had fighters weighing in at more than 15 percent of their contracted weight on fight day. One notable example is the UFC Sacramento headliner, where Aspen Ladd tipped the scales at 135 pounds for her matchup with Germaine de Randamie but weighed 159 pounds on the day of the event.

Foster told ESPN that he hopes the rule will encourage promoters to book more catchweight fights, or simply move the bout up a weight class.

"This is a fixable issue," Foster said. "Pretending like we're bound to these weight classes like they're set in stone and fighters can't move up, frankly it's not healthy.”