What's new at Ludus Martial Arts

We’re so proud of our team! Find out how they’ve been doing, as well as what else has been going on at our gym lately.

UFC Utica’s Gian Villante to fighters cutting weight: ‘Make sure you’re a professional’

UFC light heavyweight Gian Villante has a message for fighters struggling on the scale: Do your job.

Villante (16-9 MMA, 6-6 UFC) walks around at 250 pounds, well into heavyweight territory. He cuts 15-20 pounds on the week of his fights and notes, “It doesn’t matter how low you get – it always sucks every time.”

But he guts it out and makes weight – he’s never missed on the UFC scale – because there isn’t another option.

“You’ve seen a lot of crazy things going on in the past couple of cards with these people losing weight, and this is part of our job,” Villante told MMAjunkie Radio. “It’s not just going in there and putting on a good show. It’s coming in and making sure you’re a professional and you make weight.

“I’ve never had a problem with it before, and I’m not going to start now.”

Villante, who faces Sam Alvey (32-10 MMA, 9-5 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 131, didn’t mention any specific fighter’s names when he made his comments. The UFC has been plauged by combatants coming in heavy on the scale, or being forced to withdraw from an event prior to weigh-ins because of issues related to weight cutting.

In one week, the promotion marks the two-year anniversary of holding early weigh-ins for events. According to MMAjunkie’s Mike Bohn, the number of fighters who’ve missed weight has gone from 22 to 62 (via Twitter).

Regulators like the California State Athletic Commission have attempted to address excessive weight-cutting head on, implementing a 10-point plan to steepen penalties for weight offenders and increasing monitoring to ensure fighters aren’t cutting too much weight. Yet the misses on the scale continue unabated.

Villante, who fights on the FS1-televised main card of Friday’s event at Adirondack Bank Center in Utica, N.Y., has contemplated fighting at heavyweight, where he wouldn’t have to shed any pounds and where he’s fought earlier in his career. But potential career opportunities in the UFC have kept him fighting at 205 pounds.

Perhaps a few rounds sparring with heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic also influenced his decision.

“I wouldn’t mind fighting at heavyweight,” Villante said. “I do see some fights that I do like. But light heavyweight’s fun. It’s a division where there’s a lot of room to move. You string together a couple good fights, and you could be there pretty close for a title shot.”

Villante’s upcoming opponent, Alvey, knows all too well the dilemma presented with a move in weight. After a miss on the scale, he decided to compete at light heavyweight, bulking up from the middleweight division where he spent 10 years. He specifically asked to face Villante after knocking out his first opponent.

Alvey took note of Villante’s bulk and ability to wrestle opponents. On Friday, he’ll get an idea of whether he made the right decision.

For now, Villante has made his, no matter how much it sucks on fight week.

For more on UFC Fight Night 131, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

UFC free fight: Charles Oliveira rallies to light up Michael Chandler for first title win

Charles Oliveira proved he had championship mettle when he battled through some early adversity against Michael Chandler. Oliveira faced Chandler for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 262 in May 2021. It took “Do Bronx” 28 octagon appearances to earn his first-career title shot. Round...

Javier Mendez disagrees with Daniel Cormier’s claim that Islam Makhachev more dangerous than Khabib Nurmagomedov

For Javier Mendez, Islam Makhachev is more skilled than Khabib Nurmagomedov but not more dangerous. Daniel Cormier, who also trained under Mendez at American Kickboxing Academy, said UFC lightweight champion Makhachev is even more dangerous than former champ Nurmagomedov was during his prime. Mendez heavily disagrees. “OK, he’s more...

come and try a ludus mma class free!

We want to make sure that Ludus MMA is the right fit for you before asking you to commit to a membership.
That’s why we’d like to offer you a FREE ONE-DAY PASS to our gym.

With your FREE PASS, you can:

  • Try as many classes as you’d like,
  • Explore the facility
  • Talk to our coaches one-on-one about what you can expect as a member

© Copyright 2024 - Ludus Martial Arts - 730 Beach Blvd, Unit 105, Jacksonville Beach, FL 32250.

(904) 374-4186 / ludusmartialarts@gmail.com