In order to have a stress-free, smooth weight cut, it’s crucial to have the athlete within a certain distance from the weight they need to make.

Typically, I have an upper limit set for a MMA athlete for about seven days before weigh in. By this point I'd want to see them with no more than 8-10% of their bodyweight to lose.

If the athlete is much heavier than this a week before weigh in, then either; a) they haven't given enough time to diet down appropriately, or b) they are in the wrong weight class.

It's counter-productive to cut so much weight that you have to pull out all stops to barely make weight. As in such cases, it won't be possible to perform to your best on fight night.

But the exact amount of weight to cut for MMA that equates to best performance will be very individual. For any particular fighter it could be 5kg (11 lbs), 7kg (15.4 lbs) or even more than 10kg (22 lbs), depending on the weight class and how that individual fighter reacts to that cut.

From this point, there are going to be several factors I  take into account before deciding on the precise details, such as:

1. What sport is it? – MMA? Muay Thai? Boxing?
2. What weight class is the fight at?
3. How much does this fighter cut usually?
4. What’s their game plan for the fight?
5. How has the fighter responded to previous cuts?
6. What type of diet has the fighter been eating up to this point?

Understanding how all these factors impact the risks and rewards of cutting weight is crucial in order to determine how much an individual should cut weight.

As is discussed in detail in Making Weight, when thinking about making weight for a fight, a longer term view should be taken; with year-round body composition management and a gradual dieting period both crucial.

However, leaving those aside for the moment, the final "acute cut" that occurs in the final 7-10 days pre-competition is what is most often associated with weight-cutting.

Everyone hears in the media about various UFC athletes who cut X amount of pounds in a number of days. And unfortunately, sometimes people inaccurately assume being able to cut large amounts of weight in those final few days is a good thing. Often it is not, as is discussed in the book.

However, there is a lot that can be done in the days leading up to a weigh-in that can rapidly drop scale weight that having nothing to do with "dieting" or fat loss. Namely, we can alter a fighters weight by manipulating:

1. Body Water - Here we can use strategies such as water loading, water restriction, sodium restriction, and induced sweating, in order to lose water weight. However, there are negative side effects and health risks posed by these cutting strategies, so using them appropriately and sensibly should be a priority.
2. Glycogen Levels - The body stores carbohydrates in the liver and muscle. By depleting glycogen stores we can lose the weight of the glycogen, along with the water that is attached to glycogen molecules. However, the use of such a cutting strategy depends on how long there is between weigh in and competition, as we need to be able to replenish carbohydrate stores before the fight. So being able to plan this approriately is of the upmost importance.
3. Gut Residue - There is undigested food and fibre in the intestinal tract, that of course has weight. Through some specifc dietary changes for 2-3 days pre-weigh in, this residue can be decreased. This requires knowing which high-fiber foods to avoid, and how to ensure they are replaced with nutritious options. This cutting strategy can lead to a drop of 0.5 - 1.0+ of bodyweight over those few days.

So what strategies are used?

The strategies that will be effective for rapid weight decrease are:

1. Water loading followed by water restriction - Although used in various forms for a long-time, there are now cutting strategies that have been shown to be effective in research studies. Head of Nutrition at the UFC Performance Institute in Shangai, Dr. Reid Reale, published a study on water loading and restriction in BJJ athletes. Using such evidence-based protocols, the Sigma Weight Cutting System explains how this translates into practice and what it looks like in terms of acutal fluid intake.
2. Carbohydrate restriction - In order to reduce glycogen stores in the muscle, a carbohyrate-restricted diet can be used in the final acute phase. Timing this approriately is crucial so that training performance isn't harmed in the lead up to the fight. Doing this, whilst replacing the lost calories is also important.
3. Low-residue diet - As mentioned above, a low-residue diet for 2-3 days is a virtually risk-free way to drop 0.5 - 1.0% of body weight before competition.This can be done by cutting fibre intake down to low levels.
4. Induced sweating - This cutting strategy carries significant risk, especially if done incorrently or used to cut too much weight. Depending on the individual athlete, the type of competition and other factors, some pounds of water weight may be lost using a sauna, hot baths, or exercise. It is crucial that people are aware of the risks and plan effectively to avoid the dangers this can pose if done recklessly.
5. Other - Other hypothesised cutting strategies, such as changes in sodium or creatine intake leading up to the weigh in, are discussed in the book.