Junior MMA

Martin Walker

Ive noticed that there are alot of Junior fights on MMA shows these days and ive a few questions regarding it.

What is "junior"? Under 18?
Are there defined weights?
Do the kids weigh in day before or on the day?
Do you think it would be doable to have a unified Irish title instead of a number of promotional ones?
How young is too young?

Thanks

cowzerp

Martin Walker wrote: »

Ive noticed that there are alot of Junior fights on MMA shows these days and ive a few questions regarding it.

What is "junior"? Under 18?
Are there defined weights?
Do the kids weigh in day before or on the day?
Do you think it would be doable to have a unified Irish title instead of a number of promotional ones?
How young is too young?

Thanks

Junior to me is under 17, at 17 you can Box in the olympics and be a pro Boxer and this is not a legal issue at all so i consider that the age of been a senior, if the 17 year old was very immature i would see no harm him still fighting junior till he was 18 though.

The standard MMA weights are used, below what is used standardly i would say-from under 57 it's just matching like for like, last junior i had on fought at 52, main thing is there evenly matched, most juniors on shows will be at or around fly weight up anyway.

I prefer kids to weigh in the day before just like the adults, people wanting them weighing in the same day obviously don't understand that most brain injuries in Boxing are hugely related to been dehydrated, the 24 hour weigh in was brought in for safety reasons, and protecting the teens is the most important matter of all.

I don't think it would be doable unless there was a tournament like the all irelands or something where they all could enter and compete over a few weeks or so, this would be cool but best ran in clubs or something, maybe defended then on shows.

Too young for pro shows is junior in my opinion-for show's that in reality are amateur and have a more local supported atmosphere i believe 15 is a good age-really depends on the show and the pressure involved, 1st fights on to open the show is important before drink and mood is more intense.

This was a fairly quick answer so bear that in mind!!

Martin Walker

cowzerp wrote: »

Junior to me is under 17, at 17 you can Box in the olympics and be a pro Boxer and this is not a legal issue at all so i consider that the age of been a senior, if the 17 year old was very immature i would see no harm him still fighting junior till he was 18 though.

Yeah i would agree with this.

cowzerp wrote: »

The standard MMA weights are used, below what is used standardly i would say-from under 57 it's just matching like for like, last junior i had on fought at 52, main thing is there evenly matched, most juniors on shows will be at or around fly weight up anyway.

Sorry i meant to say under the standard weights. So basically at the minute its kinda just match at a pre agreed weight?

cowzerp wrote: »

I prefer kids to weigh in the day before just like the adults, people wanting them weighing in the same day obviously don't understand that most brain injuries in Boxing are hugely related to been dehydrated, the 24 hour weigh in was brought in for safety reasons, and protecting the teens is the most important matter of all.

Oh yeah i know the whole brain injuries thing. Its just i wasnt sure if having kids cut weight is a good thing to do. But then there are some that will cut for on day weigh ins. What about trying to make them fight at "walk around" weight?

cowzerp wrote: »

I don't think it would be doable unless there was a tournament like the all irelands or something where they all could enter and compete over a few weeks or so, this would be cool but best ran in clubs or something, maybe defended then on shows.

Thats a nice idea. I just figured that since the pool is small at the minute how about trying to unify the belts now?

cowzerp wrote: »

Too young for pro shows is junior in my opinion-for show's that in reality are amateur and have a more local supported atmosphere i believe 15 is a good age-really depends on the show and the pressure involved, 1st fights on to open the show is important before drink and mood is more intense.

I dont really know how young is too young myself. Its a hard one to call!

cowzerp wrote: »

This was a fairly quick answer so bear that in mind!!

Never!!:D

Jason McCabe

Martin Walker wrote: »

Ive noticed that there are alot of Junior fights on MMA shows these days and ive a few questions regarding it.

What is "junior"? Under 18?
Are there defined weights?
Do the kids weigh in day before or on the day?
Do you think it would be doable to have a unified Irish title instead of a number of promotional ones?
How young is too young?

Thanks

It's the rules Davy p used at the ramble. Day before weigh


The leagues are the ideal place for them to start

These kids are the future of the sport in the country. I see more talent from some of these kids than I've seen in some fights quite high up the running order in cards

cowzerp

Martin Walker wrote: »

What about trying to make them fight at "walk around" weight?

If that could be achieved then all levels would do it, people will always try to get an advantage, you will have 2 fighters with 1 cut and 1 not and big size diifferences-plus the same risk of brain injury that was the reason why they made the 24 hour safety weigh in a rule.

What could be done is that when you weigh, say 57kg for example, that you cant be over 5% of that weight -so in other words on the day you cant be over 60kg

Personally i think learning to cut weight and be hydrated is a good lesson for teens who plan on competing as adults.

I also don't feel there is need for change in the weigh in procedures now but my idea above would stop massive cutting, i don't think that happens too much though in fairness..

Mellor

The issue of one fighter cutting and the other not is far far smaller than the issue of fighting dehydrated.