Dangerous “weight loss” in the UFC or how Ilya Topuria will gain 10 kg in 24 hours: what science says about it

The hours leading up to a big UFC fight like Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilya Topuria are exhausting. Or rather, days. And all because of weight. That great factor that decides everything.

Because even though the Honda Center in Anaheim is preparing to shake on February 18 High-voltage fight for the UFC featherweight world titleBoth have already spent weeks of intensive training. Not only in combat matters.

A few hours before his fight, the UFC featherweight champion will be determined. both have already passed the traditional weigh-in. Both, as expected, did so after a week of eating and drinking little to keep their body total to a minimum and be able to compete in the said category. But now it’s time to win again, and time is of the essence.

Weight cutting in the UFC: key for Topuria and Volkanovski

In the world of UFC The official weigh-in is a ritual as important as the fight itself.. Wrestlers go through an extreme process known as a “weight cut” to reach weight in their weight class. However, this practice carries risks that can affect your health and even put your life at risk.

What is “weight loss”? The goal is actually simple: lose weight as quickly as possible to compete in a lower category which would compete with the “regular” weight, let’s say. To achieve this, fighters implement a combination of strategies:

• Calorie restriction: Food intake is kept to a minimum, consuming only a few calories per day.
• Dehydration: Perhaps the most important part is limiting your water intake and increasing your sweating in saunas, hot tubs, and intense workouts.
• Diuretics: Some athletes also use medications that increase urine production to eliminate fluid.

All this represents a real moment of “stress” for the body and can entail a certain danger even for professional athletes such as Topuria and Volkanovski. They will not be the first to be hospitalized or lose consciousness as a result.

Ilya Topuria weighing, weight restoration and “rebound”:

After weighing, fighters rehydrate and consume food in large quantities to restore their normal weight. But this weight jump can be dangerous because it increases the risk of injury during a fight. Ilya Topuria himself has repeatedly assured that after weighing in, he has 24 hours to gain 10 kg again.

“The weigh-in will take place on Friday, approximately 30 hours before the fight.” Topuria spoke about this in a recent interview. And then the rebound. “65.7 is the weight that I will have to give, and the next day I will go into the octagon with a weight of about 77-78 kilograms.”

But how is this possible? The first thing Ilya Topuria will do is restore the water balance, thanks to which she will quickly rise. Then, Tomorrow you will start eating high carbohydrate foods.so he will arrive at Sunday’s fight in a state similar to the one he was in when the dehydration process began.

All these extreme changes to the body pose a huge risk, according to numerous scientific reports. Pushing your body to the extreme is what you have. This is why high level fighters like Volkanovski and Topuria always have medical advice and supervision to be able to do it in the safest possible way. Although you can’t be one hundred percent sure of anything.

Topuria vs. Volkanovski: where to watch and at what time the fight for the UFC featherweight belt

Ilya Topuria, “Matador”, and current champion Alexander Volkanovskiy, “The King”, faces will be visible on the night from Saturday to Sunday (around 6 a.m. Sunday Spanish Peninsula time, 11 p.m. Saturday Mexico City time) in a fight that promises to be explosive, with contrasting styles and plenty of stakes.

The fight will be broadcast live from California by Eurosport (Spain) or Star+ (Mexico and Argentina). In addition, there is hope that it will be possible to follow him live UFC social media and hashtag #UFC298..

The Australian has held the belt since 2020 and has successfully defended it four times. Topuria, in turn, has a streak of 13 victories., everything is completed to the limit. And he said that he would knock out Volkanovski in the first round. There is nothing there.

With the weigh-ins completed and both fighters in good shape and health, it remains to be seen whether Topuria will be able to take the title from Volkanovski and become the new featherweight champion.