Cutting 36 pounds in 13 days? Why one UFC fighter even tried – and what he learned

Paul Redmond

Prior to a rash of high-profile drug-testing failues, there was a time – one that now seems so much more simple and innocent – when missing weight was the most venal of sins.

It was often dismissed as an act of gluttony or lax training, but that certainly wasn’t the case for Irish featherweight Paul Redmond (10-5 MMA, 0-1 UFC), who came in at 149 pounds for his promotional debut, which he lost via unanimous decision to Mirsad Bektic (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on Jan. 24 at UFC on FOX 14 in Stockholm.

On just two weeks’ notice, the Team Ryano exponent was asked to fight the undefeated Bektic after Alan Omer was forced to withdraw from the bout due to injury. However, at the time, Redmond, whose entire career to that point had been at lightweight, was tipping the scales at 182 pounds.

Despite having reservations, the 28-year-old seized his chance to fight in the world’s foremost promotion after a quick consultation with his strength and conditioning coach.

“I just thought, ‘Make weight and go in and win the fight,’” he told MMAjunkie. “You hear the UFC, and they’re obviously calling you for a reason. But it was just unfortunate the call came the way it did. It was an opportunity, and I wasn’t going to say no.”

With the clock at 13 days and counting, Redmond set about dropping a whopping 36 pounds. He reduced his meals from four to three a day, ran for at least 90 minutes prior to stepping foot in the gym, all the while undergoing a series of medicals and finalizing the terms of his contract. Needless to say, his preparation suffered.

“We couldn’t drill anything specific for Mirsad; it was all weight-related,” he said. “I had to do my run in the morning, and then do a session with the pads and get on the skipping rope for another half an hour.

“When I got to Stockholm, I had all the media obligations, so getting the balance right was a tough one. The week and a half leading up to the fight was mentally and physically exhausting. It was horrific.”

With just 48 hours until the weigh-ins, Redmond still had the better part of 20 pounds to shed. Somehow, he managed to drop 16 of those during intense sessions in a sauna. The result of which, he said, left him with what felt like “the worst hangover of life.”

Depriving oneself of fluids to such a degree is hardly conducive to optimum performance, but according Dr. Sharon Madigan, the consultant nutritionist to Irish judo and boxing teams, the ramifications can be far more sinister.

“When you dehydrate significantly, your brain dehydrates as well,” she said, “and the protective fluid around the brain disappears, and you’re much more likely to potentially have a head injury.

“You put big stresses on the physiological systems. The big concern most people would have is for the cardiovascular system. If you’re dehydrated, you’re system has to work much harder to pump blood around. It becomes much thicker, and the heart has to work so much harder.”

There’s a certain oddity in elite athletes, already at the peak physical condition, attempting to streamline their frames. Consequently, according to Dr. Madigan, they become increasingly susceptible to injuries, muscle disintegration and infection, even if their training regime and diet are on point.

“You’ve got muscle mass loss, and then there are injuries and muscle breakdown that can come from that,” she said. “The worst-case scenario is that you’re breaking down more muscle than you can actually deal with, and the kidneys can’t get rid of the toxins that come with release of nitrogen into the system.

“Some athletes have a high protein diet, and their muscle mass becomes much heavier. And what we’ve seen is that these individuals have very low body fat, so when they go to cut weight, there’s no fat to cut. And, losing muscle mass is harder than losing fat mass, so that becomes a big struggle as well.”

It’s difficult to imagine Redmond was not experiencing some of these afflictions in the hours leading to the weigh-ins in Stockholm. When the time came, he just couldn’t get down to 146 pounds. Yet, even then, due to a mix adrenalin and excitement, he said to have felt ready for battle, if only temporarily.

“When you step into the cage and the lights go on, it’s business as usual,” he said. “The first exchange was OK. Then we clinched up, and he just turned me against the fence like a rag doll. That never happens to me. As soon as he spun me, I was done and had nothing there for him.”

Bektic dismantled a jaded-looking Redmond over three rounds, and the disappointment still lingers for the Dubliner, though he remains confident that, with ample time, he’ll hit the mark next time round.

“It’s just a shame because I think I was forgettable in that fight,” Redmond said. “If I crack this weight cut, which I know I can with a full eight-week camp, it’ll be no problem. Look, if I could make 149 pounds in two weeks, I’ll definitely make 146 pounds in eight.”

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