Brace revamps weight divisions, weight cutting rules

Brace is changing the way their athletes make weight for bouts. Along with new hydration rules, the promotion has adopted the same weight divisions as Asia’s One Championship introduced back in 2015 following the tragic death of Chinese flyweight Yang Jian Bing.

The new weight divisions are as follows.

• Heavyweight: 102.2 KG – 120.2 kg
• Light Heavyweight: 93.1 KG – 102.1 kg
• Middleweight: 84.0 KG – 93.0 kg
• Welterweight: 77.2 KG – 83.9 kg
• Lightweight: 70.4 KG – 77.1 kg
• Featherweight: 65.9 KG – 70.3 kg
• Bantamweight: 61.3 KG – 65.8 kg
• Flyweight: 56.8 KG – 61.2 kg
• Strawweight: 52.3 KG – 56.7 kg

Effective immediately, fighters must submit their current walking weight, previous fight week weight and previous weight cutting so that the promotion can determine which division they will be permitted to compete in.

Brace CEO Kya Pate said of the changes, “I expect to now see our fighters stepping on the scales, drinking water, happy, hydrated and ready for competition.

“Cutting weight, sauna’s, salt baths and dehydrating your body should be put in the past.

“What is the point of two fighters walking around at similar weights, then both cutting to reach a target then rehydrating back to the same weight they started at? I like what One has done and we plan to model our system similar to theirs.”

Like One Championship, Brace fighters may be required to undertake hydration tests during fight week and at weigh-in. If a fighter fails a hydration test they will not be allowed to compete, according to the promotion.

The next offering from the promotion takes place in Sydney on 28 October.