Okay... one of my teachers told me today that in addition to the training I currently do, I should really start looking up some fights in my weight division to learn from the fighters.

I'm currently in the 160 pound range ( I failed at my bulking attempts to get heavier), standing at a height of about 5"9 (for quick reference).

I was wondering what you'd recommend for good fights to watch?

My teacher recommended GSP. I already watched his fight in UFC 79, and I have to say I was really impressed.

Anyhow, are there any other welterweights that I could look up?

Thanks in advance for your help!

You weigh 160, this means that you are in the lightweight division, not welterweight.

Start with BJ Penn, work from there.

Yeah, I'm working up to Welterweight weight. I can at least get to 170. Gotta start that after finishing my midterms.

Yeah, I'm working up to Welterweight weight. I can at least get to 170. Gotta start that after finishing my midterms.

You'd still want to fight at 155... Most lightweights walk around in the 170's. Welter's are more like 185 walking weight.

Yeah, you wanna go to 155, not 170. Why would you want to go to 170 so bad anyway?

Well, I'm about the same height as GSP and I only need to work up ten pounds, and he does well enough.

Well, I'm about the same height as GSP and I only need to work up ten pounds, and he does well enough.
Good luck with that.

There is an amazing tendency to watch TV and think "Yeah, I could do that, it looks easy."

You are wrong in that assumption.

GSP, Matt Hughes et al, have years of competition experience from prior to fighting MMA and they have a walk around weight of 15 to 20 pounds more then their "weigh in" size.

Well Jason Lambert is LHW and 5'10", And Jeff Monson is a heavyweight and an inch shorter than you. If you really want to "bulk up" by watching MMA, I would suggest those. Or you could really go for broke and watch Butterbean, he's only an inch taller at 5'11" and he's 350LBS! You could be HUGE if you watched him!

GSP walks around at 190 so you'd have to gain 30 lbs. Meanwhile there are plenty of lightweights that are 5'9 and 5'10 that you can 'study'.

MMA is a game of weight management, just like wrestling. If you want to fight at 170, you'll be bulking up to 190. As it stands, the guys are right. You want to study folks at the 155. Even if you don't want to cut weight, the other guy you're fighting will, and even though you're fighting at the 170 class, you'll be fighting guys that are really 190-200.

****, look at Joe Riggs.

Weight management aside, why are you only watching people at your weight class? You can learn from GSP or BJ Penn regardless of what weight you fight at.

Study Genki Sudo and try and do everything that he does.

Weight management aside, why are you only watching people at your weight class? You can learn from GSP or BJ Penn regardless of what weight you fight at.

Actually, I go the opposite and say watching professionals as an amatuer (or just a hobbyist) is usually a bad idea just because pros tend to be incredibly talented along with very skilled, something most folks tend to lack, and trying to emulate them is pointless. But I say this as a bitter man with no coordination who sucks at both fighting and every other sport endeavor I've ever had.

Actually, I go the opposite and say watching professionals as an amatuer (or just a hobbyist) is usually a bad idea just because pros tend to be incredibly talented along with very skilled, something most folks tend to lack, and trying to emulate them is pointless. But I say this as a bitter man with no coordination who sucks at both fighting and every other sport endeavor I've ever had.

I'd say that's true to a large extent. Trying to imitate techniques executed by people with the coordination and attributes acheived through years of experience particular to those people is a recipe for disaster. However I think you can gain valuable information on how they think, and how they use the skills they have to deal with the opponent. Also you can judge a little bit the effectiveness of various training styles and other elements of preparation.

Don't look at techniques per say but cage management, positioning, how they attack their opponents weaknesses, how they hide theirs, etc.

Your teacher has a stupid idea. If you want to be like GSP or BJ Penn, go to a Judo or BJJ school and start there.