Weight classes and divisions: why every class has its own ranking

Combat sports split athletes by weight because size matters. KBN goes further: every ranking table is defined by four attributes, and a result only ever counts in the table it belongs to.

The four attributes of a division

• Discipline: MMA, Kickboxing, Boxing or Muay Thai (other disciplines need Technical Committee approval).
• Category: Professional or Amateur.
• Gender: men's or women's tables.
• Weight class: defined by an upper limit in kilograms.

"Professional Men's Kickboxing Welterweight" is one division. "Amateur Men's Kickboxing Welterweight" is another. So is "Professional Women's Kickboxing Welterweight".

The sample weight classes

Class	Upper limit
Flyweight	52 kg
Bantamweight	56 kg
Featherweight	60 kg
Lightweight	64 kg
Light Welterweight	67 kg
Welterweight	71 kg
Middleweight	75 kg
Light Heavyweight	81 kg
Cruiserweight	91 kg
Heavyweight	No limit

Sample table used until KBN publishes Annex A. The current limits are always shown on the rankings page.

Class	Upper limit
Atomweight	48 kg
Flyweight	52 kg
Bantamweight	56 kg
Featherweight	60 kg
Lightweight	64 kg
Welterweight	69 kg
Middleweight	75 kg
Heavyweight	No limit

Sample table used until Annex A.

These are sample tables. KBN's official weight classes (Annex A) will replace them, and super administrators can edit them in the platform settings. The rankings page marks them with a "Sample" badge.

How your class is assigned

At registration your weight class is assigned automatically from your gender and declared weight: the lightest class whose upper limit is at or above your weight. Administrators can override it where the evidence shows you compete in a different class. Each bout is recorded with its bout weight, and results count in the division of that bout.

Why points never transfer

A welterweight's knockout wins say little about how they would do at heavyweight. Transferring points would reward moving divisions to exploit a thin table. So points stay in the division where they were earned. If you move up or down, you build a ranking in the new division from bouts fought there, while your old results stay in the old division until they expire.

Moving up or down a weight class →

Thin divisions

Some divisions have few ranked fighters, especially in new branches or women's amateur classes. A single verified result can put someone at the top of such a table. That is correct: the table reflects the verified results that exist. As more athletes are verified, thin divisions fill in.

Weigh-ins and safety

The weight class is a safety rule first. Making weight by dangerous dehydration defeats its purpose. KBN officials record weigh-in weights against the class limit at check-in.

Weight cutting safely →

Worked example: which class am I?

Gender	Declared weight	Assigned class	Why
Men	63.5 kg	Lightweight	64 kg is the first limit at or above 63.5
Men	71.0 kg	Welterweight	Exactly at the 71 kg limit
Men	71.2 kg	Middleweight	Above 71, first limit at or above is 75
Women	47.5 kg	Atomweight	48 kg limit
Women	66.0 kg	Welterweight	69 kg limit
Men	96.0 kg	Heavyweight	No upper limit

Administrators can override the assignment where your bouts show you compete in another class.

Myths and facts

Myth	Fact
Points follow you to a new weight class	Points never transfer between divisions
The weight classes are final	They are sample tables until Annex A is published
Amateur and professional share a table	They are separate categories with separate tables
Your declared weight decides every bout's division	Each bout counts in the division of that bout

What Annex A will change

When KBN publishes Annex A, super administrators update the weight-class tables in the platform settings. Rankings are recalculated and caches cleared. Athletes near a boundary should check their division afterwards; administrators can override an athlete's class where their bouts show they compete elsewhere.

Frequently asked questions