Strikeforce Weigh-Ins: Cyborg Initially Seven Pounds Overweight

by Rundownloser on Apr 10, 2009 7:23 PM EDT Comment 48 comments

The official weigh-in event for Strikeforce: "Shamrock vs. Diaz" took place today (April 10) from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, California.

Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos once again failed to hit her mark, coming in seven pounds over the contracted 145-pound weight limit for her showdown against Hitomi Akano. She has several hours to lose at least 2.5 pounds, which would get her within six pounds of her opponent, otherwise the bout will be scrapped.

179 lbs.: Frank Shamrock (180) vs. Nick Diaz (180)
155 lbs.: Gilbert Melendez (154) vs. Rodrigo Damm (154.5)
185 lbs.: Benji Radach (184) vs. Scott Smith (184)
145 lbs.: Hitomi Akano (143.5) vs. Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos (152)*
265 lbs.: Ron Humphrey (239.5) vs. Brett Rogers (262.5)
185 lbs.: Buck Meredith (185) vs. Luke Rockhold (186)
185 lbs.: Waylon Kennell (185.5) vs. Eric Lawson (186)
185 lbs.: Raul Castillo (183) vs. Brandon Michaels (187.5)**
170 lbs.: Zak Bucia (170) vs. James Terry (170)
135 lbs.: Shingo Kohara (136) vs. Jeremy Tavares (134.5)

Note: Fighters are allowed to weigh one pound more than the division limit in non-title fights.
* Cyborg has until 8 p.m. PT to shed at least 2.5 pounds
** Michaels also missed the mark on his first attempt

Certifiably ungood stuff here. I don't know how rough cutting said pounds in that amount of time is for her, but it can't be the optimal situation. That said, MMAWeekly.com reports:

"She shouldn’t have a problem cutting that by tonight," a representative of Santos’ camp told MMAWeekly.com shortly afterwards.

We'll see.

Update: Baudelaire posted this quote from Sherdog.com in the comments:

If Santos makes weight and the fight, she will be fined 20% of her fight purse, with half of the deduction going to the CSAC, and the remaining 10% to Akano.

Update II: This time from Fiveouncesofpain.com:

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos has just re-weighed in at 150 pounds to face Hitomi Akano, which is a half pound above the maximum limit set previously this evening by the CSAC. However, the commission has decided to let the bout continue as planned with Cyborg at 150 pounds.

FiveOuncesOfPain.com is on the scene in San Jose where we have learned from Akano’s representatives that she is declining on the fight.

Prima facie, all I can say is this: tip of the hat to Akano for declining the fight and a wag of the finger to the CSAC for fudging it for convenience again.

Photo via mmafrenzy.com

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Sherdog:

If Santos makes weight and the fight, she will be fined 20% of her fight purse, with half of the deduction going to the CSAC, and the remaining 10% to Akano.

I will play my game beneath the spin light.
Absurd Meridian

by Eugene Schelfaut on Apr 10, 2009 7:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Damn, if her and Gina ever do fight it will have to be at catchweight… neither of these two can seem to lose weight.

by mythbuster on Apr 10, 2009 7:32 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Goddamnit.

The Jackie Robinson of women’s MMA might be the first quality female fighter that routinely makes weight.

by subo on Apr 10, 2009 7:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

180 for Shamrock & Diaz?

What’s the point of calling it a 179lb catchweight if they’re just going to come in at 180?

Creator of the FightMatrix rating system.

by JCS_FM on Apr 10, 2009 8:20 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

There was a point to this bout?

"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR

by Rundownloser on Apr 10, 2009 9:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pure, unadulterated fun! Woot!

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

by themachiavellian on Apr 10, 2009 9:09 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think it was set that way so that they could come in +1 at 180

by B Money on Apr 10, 2009 11:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ah beat me there

by EazyEismydad on Apr 10, 2009 11:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I will play my game beneath the spin light.
Absurd Meridian

by Eugene Schelfaut on Apr 10, 2009 8:47 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Bring on Carano

Now I think there’s some poetic justice in seeing her and Carano fight. It would be a sick battle of fighters who just don’t care about making weight.

by cyke on Apr 10, 2009 8:50 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Srsly

Few things in this world funnier than fat chics fighting.

by mythbuster on Apr 10, 2009 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's hard for girls

Here is an interview I did with Gina Carano talking about how hard it is to cut weight for ladies. I feel for Mrs. Cyborg.

http://tvblog.ugo.com/tv/gina-carano-interview

by Jonathan Snowden on Apr 10, 2009 8:53 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

That’s interesting. I’ve been wondering whether weight cutting is harder for gals. Thanks for the info.

"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR

by Rundownloser on Apr 10, 2009 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

ive always figured it was harder

but seven pounds?

im not impressed with your performance

by troy145 on Apr 10, 2009 9:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, that’s not even close.

by subo on Apr 10, 2009 11:01 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It has to do with their menstrual cycles. Women retain water at different points in their cycles and that makes it impossible to cut weight. It could have just been bad luck with the timing. Cycles can be unpredictable, especially when your weight fluxuates a lot

by EazyEismydad on Apr 10, 2009 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Obviously weight-cutting is an entirely different process for women than it is for men, and if you miss weight by a couple pounds then that’s understandable, but she didn’t even get close. If you are 7 pounds overweight then you simply can’t make the weight and you shouldn’t accept a fight at 145.

by ufc4 on Apr 11, 2009 12:44 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

First off:

“But fans aren’t quite as obsessed with Roger Huerta as they seem to be with you. I’ve never seen Roger described as “sexy” in a headline."

You don’t hang out with me enough.

Second, nothing in Carano’s answer seemed to indicate that it’s any harder to cut weight than it is for men. It’s different, and a woman’s cycle provides some additional variables at play. But if you can’t make it to 130 or 135 routinely, stop fighting there. If women just physically can’t safely and consistently make a certain cut (and I assume their bodies just naturally can’t handle the same kind of cut a man can), you need to factor that in when you have a bout proposed to you.

http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com

by Mike Fagan on Apr 10, 2009 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions 4 recs

i haven’t ever tried to cut weight for a fight, but that reasoning sounds good to me.

by snet tim on Apr 11, 2009 1:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Word. Gina’s literally made 135 lbs once in her career (her debut against Pestova). She missed that mark against Sexton, Evinger, Kedzie, and Young (her fight against Elaina Maxwell was at 150 lbs). Finally after that they started signing her to fight at 140 lbs. Sheer lunacy.

by ilostmydog on Apr 11, 2009 5:20 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My bad. For the Young fight they finally started signing her fights for 140 lbs, but she missed weight in that one by 4.5 lbs anyways.

by ilostmydog on Apr 11, 2009 5:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I will play my game beneath the spin light.
Absurd Meridian

by Eugene Schelfaut on Apr 10, 2009 10:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I will play my game beneath the spin light.
Absurd Meridian

by Eugene Schelfaut on Apr 10, 2009 10:04 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Brett looks a little fat.

by subo on Apr 11, 2009 12:11 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I will play my game beneath the spin light.
Absurd Meridian

by Eugene Schelfaut on Apr 10, 2009 10:06 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos once again failed to hit her mark, coming in seven pounds over the contracted 145-pound weight limit for her showdown against Hitomi Akano.

When did she miss weight before? I don’t remember her missing weight for either of her EXC fights. Did I miss something?

by Cannon Jacques on Apr 10, 2009 10:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Probably mixing her up with Gina. Cyborg did fight at a catchweight of 148 once but that was because her opponent couldn’t make 145 and it was agreed upon beforehand.

by ufc4 on Apr 11, 2009 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Interesting

I was wondering about that too after Cannon mentioned it.

"I see him beating Anderson Silva. I see him picking him apart. Him at a 131 years old...(trails off)." - Tito on Belfort at Affliction:DOR

by Rundownloser on Apr 11, 2009 12:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

guys guys..

Cyborg was given until 8 p.m. PT (5 1/2 hours) to cut 2 1/2 pounds getting her within six pounds of Akano. She accomplished that by 7 p.m. PT but now Akano is throwing a wrench into the mix. She may not agree to fight Cyborg and is threatening to pull out. Strikeforce sources said as of 7:45 p.m. PT they were “working” on making sure the fight happens.

weoweoweo .deviantart .com

by Anton Tabuena on Apr 10, 2009 11:31 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Good for her. I wouldn’t want to fight someone who’s already naturally a weight class ahead of me, and now has an additional five pound allowance.

http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com

by Mike Fagan on Apr 10, 2009 11:33 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, but i bet they'll give her a bonus and she'll go on with it..

weoweoweo .deviantart .com

by Anton Tabuena on Apr 10, 2009 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

she'll already get a part of cyborg's purse, and if they offer her a pretty good bonus i doubt she'll say no..

weoweoweo .deviantart .com

by Anton Tabuena on Apr 10, 2009 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's bullshit.

People that don’t look at size discrepancies as important are kidding themselves. That’s one thing I loathe about the current state of female MMA. These naturally smaller women are being matched up against larger opponents. I’m not just picking on Cyborg. She’s only the most recent offender.

by Cannon Jacques on Apr 10, 2009 11:48 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

they already put in a smaller person to get murdered, at least have the decency to come in close to the weight limit right..

how unprofessional is that.. and the sad thing is, the 2 people who do that are their two biggest stars.

weoweoweo .deviantart .com

by Anton Tabuena on Apr 11, 2009 12:00 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

The biggest problem is your first statement.

They can’t find enough of the heavier fighters at a level to compete with Gina and Cyborg, so they put them against blown up smaller fighters at a weight they can’t make.

I don’t really blame Gina or Cyborg (Who is ripped), but it is just the state of womens mma and it is undergoing growing pains as it becomes a bigger sport.

On a side note, I hear Kyra Gracie is preparing to enter MMA. I really don’t know if I could watch her and Gina get it on…

If you're not submitting, you're just rolling around with another guy.

by BJJDenver on Apr 11, 2009 12:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t know. There may be more 130-135 lb. women fighters, but there are some very good larger women, too. Miesha Tate is fighting Kim Couture. What’s that? Tate should be fighting women like Carano and Cyborg. Couture should be fighting much smaller fighters. Erin Toughill and Marloes Coenen would match up well against Gina or Cyborg at 145. I think the argument about there not being enough 145 and bigger women is overplayed a bit.

by Cannon Jacques on Apr 11, 2009 12:22 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

It's getting Late, WTF gives?

Nearly 40min past 8. What’s going on?

by Dexerion on Apr 10, 2009 11:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

look up ^

cyborg made weight by 7.. but akano is threatening to pull out..

weoweoweo .deviantart .com

by Anton Tabuena on Apr 10, 2009 11:43 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

PS:

This is going to be murder if Akano takes this fight. Cyborg and Gina need to be reigned in or they need to make up a higher weight class for Women or something.

by Dexerion on Apr 10, 2009 11:41 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

at this rate, there's gonna be a 155 division just for the 2 stars..

weoweoweo .deviantart .com

by Anton Tabuena on Apr 10, 2009 11:42 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have a feeling they would still miss weight. Certainly they would still look good doing it, but…

by natyong on Apr 11, 2009 8:53 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Has cyborg ever missed weight before this? I know Carano’s missed quite a bit, but I can’t recall Cyborg missing. (And granted, 7lbs is a lot to be off, but shit, Nick Diaz missed by 9 once.)

by snet tim on Apr 11, 2009 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

If this fight were to happen would it be considered “car crash MMA”?

Hello, Japan!

by Mr.Kib on Apr 11, 2009 3:20 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

It's back on

Not all that excited about this now though.

Sherdog article, Update: Akano-Cyborg Back On with a pretty good named source.

by natyong on Apr 11, 2009 9:02 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Named sources are Akano’s manager,Shu Hirata, who has some choice words on the matter and Scott Coker. Concessions mentioned are very principled in my opinion. Sounds like they might broadcast fight weights not just weigh-in weights. 20 lbs (15%) difference in weight is pretty big. Santos was 158 lbs a few hours after weigh-in

by natyong on Apr 11, 2009 9:13 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t know what Akano’s pay or bonus schedule is, but if she’s on some kind of 5/5 contract then the offer wasn’t really that much. I suppose we’ll find out more in the days to come.

Yah, in that situation she would probably still earn similar from the 10% of Cyborg’s pay if Cyborg won.

I also love the 2 top blogs right now have major components of weight issues. The other is Overeem in using drugs to look like he is now. I like Overeem’s take that I did what I had to to make light heavy-weight even if that included not weight training.

by natyong on Apr 11, 2009 10:47 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs