The issue of weight-cutting as a ‘quick fix' to a fighter's divisional troubles came to me as an interesting subject for discussion following B.J. Penn's destruction of Diego Sanchez at UFC 107. Not to take anything away from Penn's phenomenal performance, but it's hard for me to sit back and honestly say that Diego Sanchez's transition to 155 has been a wise move for his career. Sanchez's drop was inspired by two back-to-back defeats and the allure of physical advantages (strength and conditioning) he would supposedly hold over his fellow competitors at lightweight. But where have those advantages been displayed? Certainly not in his last three fights, which I will get to, but first, let's take a stroll down memory ...

(by Dr. Johnny Benjamin of MMAJunkie.com) Cutting weight continues to be a significant part of weight-restricted sports such as MMA, wrestling and boxing. It has gone on for so long that as the old aphorism goes, "Familiarity breeds contempt." All those athletes, coaches, promoters, sanctioning bodies and fans associated with these sports have learned to accept it, consider it part of the culture, and turn a blind eye. They all know – even if they won't admit it – that rapid, significant weight-cutting is unhealthy and potentially deadly. Most serious wrestlers have a personal story about the perils of such weight-cutting either through first hand knowledge or vicariously via a close friend or teammate. But ...