MMA Current Rated Division Population (Update #2)

Aug 29, 2016
Jason

First Posted in December 2011

Updated in May 2014

Division Estimated # 12/2011 5/2014 8/2016
Heavyweight 757 8.3% 6.9% 6.2%
Light Heavyweight 758 8.8% 6.7% 6.2%
Middleweight 1285 14.7% 12.7% 10.6%
Welterweight 2070 20.4% 18.3% 17.0%
Lightweight 2453 21.8% 20.2% 20.2%
Featherweight 2114 14.4% 17.4% 17.4%
Bantamweight 1600 9.0% 11.4% 13.2%
Fly+Straw 1109 2.7% 6.4% 9.1%

– Male Only
 

The eligible pool (all active fighters over the “starter” rating) has increased only 1.4% in the past 2.25 years, after jumping over 13% in the previous 2.5 years.  The growth of MMA has seemed to come to a halt on the global scale.

The divisional trend is simple.  Less fighters in the heavier divisions, more fighters in the lighter divisions, especially at the very bottom of the weights.

Using some updated info, I have to make a slight revision to the “average fighter” weights in the past two studies.  In 2011, the average male fighter weighed in at roughly 171 pounds.  In 2014, this went down to 166 and now, it is about 163 pounds.

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