Weight?

[Rojcewicz]

I've been practicing Northern Shaolin Long Fist for about a year now.
Our training consists mainly of stance work, two man drills, and
sparring drills (practicing footwork and combinations). I usually
participate in continues sparring sessions with a couple of the
advance students at least once or twice a week, and when I
do we are usually working with MMA style rules.
Fighting with people who are generally larger than me, guys
would normally be out of my weight class, has demonstrated
to me that weight is a huge factor in any fight. Grappling
though seems to be most effected by it, for it is mainly a
matter of positioning and momentum and as a thinner person
(155 pounds/ 6ft) it can be an extremely difficult situation.

So the question is: How do you feel the removal of weight classes would effect the MMA venue? this is in terms of skill, style, etc.

[xcakid]

When UFC started they did not have weight classes. I recall Dan Severn fighting some dude smaller than him. Forgot the dudes name though. Only reason I remember Dan Severn is cause he showed up with his mom.

[David Jamieson]

If you have a rule set for sportive combative, you need weight classes.
the idea of small beating large only applies when there is other forms of equalization occurring.

in a ring type match, no weight restrictions means the little guys are getting their asses handed to them more often than not plain and simple.

[Iron_Eagle_76]

When the UFC first began fighters were not as skilled as they are today. Many of the fighters had little to no grappling skills and many of the traditional arts had little full contact stand up skill. During these first events, the fighter with the most full contact experience, either stand up or grappling, generally won. Now that MMA has evolved the weight classes are necessary because if you have fighter A at 155 lbs and fighter B at 205 lbs and both are of about the same skill fighter B will win. It's a matter of physics. If you have an unskilled 205 lber against the skilled 155 lber the smaller guy has a much better chance but size is always a factor when it comes to fighting.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Of course, training wise, you want to train with all sizes and there is no doubt that, even competition wise, going up against bigger and stronger opponents is a necessity in ANY MA system.