UFC 324 - up and comer to watch - Ateba Gautier

[Mike Honcho 5,612]

He's on the undercard tonight, but I think this guy is the future of the middle-weight division, guy has the heaviest fists I've ever seen. Get on the bandwagon now before it fills up.  

[Strike 6,195]

Interesting changes now that they're on Paramount+:

- Anyone who finishes their opponent gets 25k.

- Bonuses (fight of the night, etc....) bumped to 100k

- No PPV.  Just get Paramount+ and you can watch everything.  Or use alternative methods for free ;).

[Mike Honcho 5,612]

I'm using @Strike alternative methods.  PM if you'd would like alternative methods.    

After what happened to Cameron Smotherman, I hope it's a wake up to the UFC that they need to go to the One's hydration monitoring system. Someone is going to die due to dehydration for weight loss and people are going to lose their minds. 

[Mike Honcho 5,612]

I'm usually mad when they stop fights to fast - Perez v Johnson went too long, IMO. 

[Strike 6,195]

Just now, Mike Honcho said:

I'm using @Strike alternative methods.  PM if you'd would like alternative methods.    

After what happened to Cameron Smotherman, I hope it's a wake up to the UFC that they need to go to the One's hydration monitoring system. Someone is going to die due to dehydration for weight loss and people are going to lose their minds. 

According to the fighter his issue had nothing to do with dehydration or weight cut:

Quote

"All right, I obviously have gotten a lot of messages and I appreciate all the genuine concern about me," Smotherman said. "I'm completely OK. I'm good. I'm not entirely sure what happened. I see a lot of people online saying, 'Oh, it was a crazy weight cut,' stuff like that. I very genuinely didn't cut that much weight for this fight. I came in pretty low. Even over the course of this week, I haven't cut much weight. I'm not entirely sure what happened and I have some more tests and stuff to take in the coming weeks to get to the bottom of it. For all the people who said I must've done a crazy cut or something like that, I cut very, very little weight. I'm not sure what happened. But yeah, I appreciate the concern. I'm completely OK and I'll hopefully be back soon. I apologize to my opponent and yeah."

I don't know what the UFC's policy is but I know in some jurisdictions (CA comes to mind) the rules is you can only cut a certain percentage of weight or they call the fight off.  They determine this by how much you weigh at weigh in vs. when the fight starts.  So I think the fight world is aware of the issue and trying to combat it.  Again, not sure if the UFC has a specific policy on it though.

[Strike 6,195]

1 minute ago, Mike Honcho said:

I'm usually mad when they stop fights to fast - Perez v Johnson went too long, IMO. 

Maybe could have been stopped very slightly earlier but I'm ok with that one.  As Joe said the dude had recovered and was trying to defend himself.  But he took a lot of damage.  This is a fight though.  I don't think that was egregious even if it was a little late.  I thought the fat black heavyweight dude was in a lot worse shape than this guy.

[Mike Honcho 5,612]

1 minute ago, Strike said:

According to the fighter his issue had nothing to do with dehydration or weight cut:

I don't know what the UFC's policy is but I know in some jurisdictions (CA comes to mind) the rules is you can only cut a certain percentage of weight or they call the fight off.  They determine this by how much you weigh at weigh in vs. when the fight starts.  So I think the fight world is aware of the issue and trying to combat it.  Again, not sure if the UFC has a specific policy on it though.

He can say all he wants, I watched it and that totally looked like a dehydration issue. I love his sport, it's brutal and violent, but it should 't kill a guy before they get into the ring. 

I've had close friends as far back as 30 years ago doing the exact same sh!t to make weight in wrestling, it's just too dangerous. I'm glad CA is monitoring it, but the UFC needs to do it as a company policy. That company makes a fortune compared to what they pay out-it wouldn't break them to spend money monitoring every fighter they put on a card like One does. From ChatGPT:

 

 

Quote

 

ONE Championship’s Hydration + Weight System

After the tragic death of fighter Yang Jian Bing in 2015 from dehydration, ONE scrapped the traditional “weigh-in the day before” model entirely.

They replaced it with a multi-step hydration and weight monitoring system designed to ensure fighters are competing at or near their true, hydrated body weight.

---

Step 1: No More Drastic Dehydration

ONE fighters aren’t allowed to use water cutting to make weight.
They must stay fully hydrated while weighing in — and they get tested for it.

How the hydration test works:

• Fighters provide a urine sample before weighing in.

• The sample’s specific gravity (SG) is measured — that’s the test that shows how concentrated the urine is.

• If SG > 1.025, they’re considered dehydrated → they fail the test, even if they’re at the target weight.

So a fighter can’t just sweat down and “make the number.” They have to make it while hydrated.

---

Step 2: Multiple Check-Ins

Instead of one official weigh-in, fighters are weighed and tested several times:

• During training camp

• Fight week

• Day before the fight

This keeps them from yo-yoing weight and cutting massive amounts at the end.

---

Step 3: Fixed Weight Range = New Weight Class

Each fighter’s “walking weight” is established during camp monitoring.
They’re then assigned a weight class that reflects that range while hydrated.

Example:

• A UFC lightweight (155) who normally walks around at 175–180 lbs would be a ONE welterweight (170) instead.

• So when you see ONE fighters listed at “155 lbs,” they’re really the size of UFC featherweights — same physique, just healthier.

---

Step 4: Strict Enforcement

If you fail either test (hydration or weight):

• You’re not allowed to fight until you pass both.

• Fights can get canceled or changed if someone’s not fully hydrated.

• Fighters can even be reclassified to a higher weight class permanently if they repeatedly fail.

---

The Result

The difference has been dramatic:

• No more hospitalizations or near-death cuts.

• Fighters look fuller, healthier, and fight more energetically.

• Far fewer weight-miss controversies.

• And fights themselves tend to have higher pace and fewer knockouts from dehydration fatigue.

---

Why the UFC Hasn’t Done It (Yet)

The system works, but it’s logistically heavy:

• Requires more medical staff, labs, and monitoring.

• Would need buy-in from athletic commissions (especially in the U.S.).

• Fighters and camps would resist at first — many think they’d lose their size advantage.

But a growing number of fighters and coaches — and even UFC doctors — have said the ONE model is the safest and most sustainable way forward.

 

I think the fights would be better.
 

As far as that first fight...it was right on the border as far as stoppage goes.  My first reaction, that's it, then Johnson got up and wobbly for about 10 seconds, than was defending himself well, if overmatched.  I started thinking if he can bicycle for 2 minutes, he might be okay. It amazes me that these guys can recover so quickly and start defending themselves after some of those hits. I'd still be curled up in the fetal if Perez hit me like that.

 

[Mike Honcho 5,612]

I miss Arianny Celeste. And I just saw she's 40, damn that makes me old!    

[Mike Honcho 5,612]

My man Gautier is coming up - he better not make me look bad.  

[Mike Honcho 5,612]

 to my guy.  He doesn't have a Plan B when when his bombs fail to knock the other guy out. His bombs are pretty impressive though.  UD for my guy, but not impressed tonight.

[Strike 6,195]

I'm not sure about that decision in the Silva/Namjunas fight.  Rose might have won that one.

[Strike 6,195]

I hate Derrick Lewis fights.  Hopefully this one is better.  Better yet, hopefully he gets knocked the fock out.

[Strike 6,195]

Nice.  Hopefully he retires.

[HellToupee 2,448]

It looked like Lewis was on ice

[HellToupee 2,448]

Lewis looked horrible. I think it’s time to retire 

[Strike 6,195]

5 minutes ago, HellToupee said:

Lewis looked horrible. I think it’s time to retire 

I was hoping for an announcement after that fight 

[Strike 6,195]

And here we go.   Go Justin!!!

[Strike 6,195]

Great fight.  Congrats Justin!

[lickin_starfish 2,061]

Wow, that was a good one.