Crawford questions MMA heavyweight restriction on JRE MMA Show
Terence Crawford did not hide his surprise when Joe Rogan explained that the UFC sets a 265-pound ceiling for heavyweights, 266 in non-title bouts. The reaction came quickly.
“The UFC has a heavyweight limit,” Rogan said on the JRE MMA Show. “Do you know how crazy that is? Isn’t that stupid? That’s stupid, right?”
“It definitely is,” Crawford replied. “I’m just now learning about that.”
In boxing, once a fighter crosses 200 pounds, there is no upper boundary. Heavyweights can show up at 230, 250, 280 or beyond. There is no scale-driven restraint once you clear cruiserweight. Size becomes part of the tactical equation.
Rogan used Tyson Fury as an example, referencing his bouts with Deontay Wilder. Under UFC rules, Fury would have needed to trim down to make the limit. In boxing, Fury has competed well north of that number and leaned on his weight in clinches, on the inside, and when pressing opponents to the ropes.
Crawford suggested Rogan take the argument to Dana White.
“Nobody listens to me, bro,” Rogan said. “They don’t, they don’t listen to me. They think I’m crazy… Oh, I have a bunch of wacky rules that I want to institute so I understand why they don’t want to listen to me. I would throw the whole sport up in the air.”
The exchange came during a broader discussion about the UFC heavyweight division and its current depth. Rogan has questioned whether the division is as strong as it has been in past cycles.
From a boxing perspective, the absence of a cap shapes how heavyweights prepare. Conditioning must hold up under larger bodies. Punch resistance must account for size disparities. In MMA, the limit standardizes the division and narrows that spread.
Crawford’s laughter said enough. In a sport where heavyweights routinely tip the scale well above 265, the idea of a weight cap sounds restrictive.
