UFC fighter Paul Craig, drawing from his own difficult experiences with drastic weight cuts, has issued a stark warning to fighters Paddy Pimblett and Kayla Harrison about the severe health risks linked to extreme weight cutting practices. The concerns emerge amid Pimblett’s and Harrison’s struggles with significant weight fluctuations ahead of their fights in Atlanta and UFC 316, respectively.
Health Dangers Linked to Cutting Weight Drastically
Weight cutting remains a critical issue in mixed martial arts, where competitors often risk serious health problems by rapidly losing weight to qualify for specific divisions. This challenge sparked widespread attention recently, especially concerning Kayla Harrison’s attempt to make her debut at the 135-pound bantamweight limit during UFC 316. After winning two PFL lightweight titles, Harrison committed to bantamweight for the UFC, leading to a grueling and demanding weight cut process.
Similarly, Paddy Pimblett frequently faces scrutiny due to his large weight shifts. The Liverpool native competes at lightweight (155 pounds) but has admitted that his weight can exceed 200 pounds after fights, illustrating the extreme fluctuations he endures.
Paul Craig Shares His Own Struggles and Issues With Weight Cutting
Paul Craig, a Scotsman and light heavyweight fighter who recently returned to the 205-pound division after competing at middleweight, has openly discussed the toll that severe weight cuts took on his body. Craig’s firsthand experience includes multiple physical complications, which he warns Pimblett and Harrison might face if they continue similar patterns.
Craig revealed during a talkSPORT MMA interview that the effects of cutting weight impacted him significantly, including hormonal imbalances and immune system weaknesses. He explained,
“When you look at Paddy Pimblett, he’s getting an eating disorder where he binges and he ends up ballooning up, and then he ends up shredding all the way back down,”
highlighting the unsustainable nature of such cycles.
He outlined serious health issues from his own career, including low testosterone levels and white blood cell counts that made him vulnerable to common infections, stating,
“Some of the things that happened to me: we had to get regular blood tests because our testosterone levels were low. My white blood cell counts were low so we weren’t able to fight any infections, and I’m talking something as simple as a cold would have flatlined me. I ended up with a lot of infections because my body wasn’t able to fight it off.”
Craig noted that although he only made drastic cuts to middleweight four times in two years, Pimblett’s repeated extreme weight cutting could severely shorten his career.
“That’s what I’m doing and I only made middleweight four times, I only did that cut four times within two years,”
he said.
“Then I think about guys like Paddy Pimblett who’s done this repeatedly in his career. I’m thinking that’s gonna have a huge impact in terms of the longevity of his career.”
Addressing the inevitable effects of aging on the ability to cut weight, Craig warned,
“As he gets older, this becomes a little bit harder. The body starts to slow down a little and it’s going to be much harder these coming years. The same for Kayla Harrison, it’s going to get to a point where her body’s going to be like, ‘No, we can’t do this, your muscle mass is too big.’”
Kayla Harrison’s Own Battles With Dangerous Weight Cuts
Kayla Harrison’s challenges with extreme weight cutting are well documented, and the former two-time Olympic judo champion admitted that her preparation for UFC 316 pushed her to consider quitting the sport altogether. She is acutely aware of the physical and emotional toll that drastic weight loss demands.
In an interview with Luke Thomas, Harrison disclosed the emotional strain, saying,
“I’m not gonna lie to you. Friday morning, I thought about retiring on Saturday night. It takes a piece of your soul.”
Despite this, Harrison spoke about how enduring these difficult moments also builds inner strength, though she struggles to fully express the impact.
“It takes a piece out of you, but it also builds a piece of you that, again, I’ve been talking about it. I will never be able to do it justice or explain it. I don’t have the words for it,”
she stated.
Given the dangers she faces in the bantamweight division, this may be one of the last phases of Harrison’s career at 135 pounds. However, a highly anticipated fight against her former teammate and champion Amanda Nunes is expected, offering at least one more bout at this challenging weight.
Overall Implications for Fighters and MMA
Paul Craig’s warnings underline the urgent health risks associated with extreme weight cutting in MMA, especially for fighters like Paddy Pimblett, who experience large fluctuations, and Kayla Harrison, whose muscular build complicates the process. These insights highlight that repeated severe cuts not only threaten immediate health but may curtail career longevity.
As fighters age and their bodies become less resilient, sustaining such extreme practices grows increasingly difficult, potentially forcing athletes to retire early or reconsider their weight class choices. Observers and fans will be watching closely to see how Pimblett and Harrison manage these demands going forward, and whether the sport addresses this enduring challenge more effectively.