The UFC has a roster of over 500 fighters across 12 weight divisions. However, some fans and fighters are calling for the addition of more weight classes to the organization. So we went to the ATF discord to discuss the topic.
Currently, the UFC has weight divisions ranging from strawweight (115 pounds) to heavyweight (265 pounds). While this may seem like a comprehensive range, there are still some gaps that need to be filled. One of the most talked-about additions is a 165-pound division, often referred to as the "super lightweight" division. This would be a division between the lightweight (155 pounds) and welterweight (170 pounds) divisions.
The addition of a 165-pound division would benefit many fighters who are stuck between the two weight classes. For example, top-ranked welterweight Colby Covington and lightweight contender Dustin Poirier are two guys who could make 165 pounds. This would give them the opportunity to compete against opponents who are more evenly matched in terms of size and weight.
Another proposed addition is a 195-pound division, which would give fighters who are too small for light heavyweight (205 pounds) and too big for middleweight (185 pounds) a place to compete. This would benefit fighters like Paulo Costa, who has struggled to make the 185-pound limit in the past, and Israel Adesanya, who has expressed interest in fighting at a higher weight class.
In addition to the potential benefits for fighters, adding more weight divisions would also help to address issues related to weight cutting. Many fighters struggle to make weight and often face health risks in the process. By adding more weight classes, fighters would have more options and would not have to cut as much weight to make a division.
We also discussed the possibility of adding Atomweight and Super Atomweight in the women's divisions. It would be far more competitive than the current Women’s featherweight division which currently has no rankings in place.
There is also concern that adding too many weight divisions could water down the competitiveness of the sport. Currently, there are 12 weight divisions in the UFC, and some critics argue that this is already too many. It’s a well-known fact that boxing has far too many weight divisions and belts, would adding more weight classes to the UFC dilute the competition?
The UFC could follow the example of the ABC commission, which introduced four new weight divisions for MMA in 2017, including a cruiserweight division (225 pounds). This would give fighters like Tanner Boser, Jailton Almeida, and Jiri Prochazka a place to compete at a weight that is more suited to their size and build.
In addition to adding new weight classes, the UFC could also consider removing the weight limit for the heavyweight division. Currently, the limit is 265 pounds, which has led to fighters like Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis having to cut weight to make the limit. Removing the weight limit would allow these fighters to compete at a weight that is more natural for them and would likely lead to more exciting fights.
In conclusion, adding more weight divisions to the UFC would benefit fighters and fans alike. While there are challenges that need to be addressed, such as commission and sanctioning issues, the potential benefits of more weight classes are significant. Whether it's a 165-pound division, a 195-pound division, or a 225-pound division, the UFC should seriously consider adding more weight classes to their organization.
At the end of the discussion, I threw a fun topic out which was “if you were Dana White and could make whatever title fight you wanted at 165, 195 and 225, who would you put in?”
Starting at 165, we discussed that the most likely fighters in this division would be Colby Covington, Gilbert Burns, Dustin Poirier, Islam Makhachev, Dos Anjos, Conor Mcgregor, Michael Chandler, and Jorge Masvidal.
I went for Covington vs Poirier as they’ve expressed interest in fighting in the past. Culley and Taylor agreed whereas Si proposed Conor Mcgregor vs Gilbert Burns, provided that Mcgregor beats Chandler. Breezy brought up an interesting Charles Oliveira vs Gilbert Burns fight which would be a hugely entertaining fight.
At 195, I originally joked about opening with Alex Pereira vs Kamaru Usman after he announced he wanted to move up to light heavyweight in the future. However, I changed Usman to Khamzat Chimaev which has been a fight rumoured in the past.
Once Chimaev was brought into the discussion, we all jumped on the bandwagon as Culley went for Robert Whittaker vs Chimaev, Si went for Alex Pereira vs Chimaev, Taylor went for Magomed Ankalaev vs Chimaev as Breezy went for Paulo Costa vs Jan Blachowicz.
For 225, Jon Jones was a popular pick as Culley, Breezy and Taylor all picked him as one-half of their dream matchup. Culley and Taylor picked Jiri Prochazka as his opponent as Breezy went for an interesting selection in Tom Aspinall with the caveat that he can make the 225 weight. I went for Jiri Prochazka vs the very raw but very talented Jailton Almeida in a fight that I think would be massively entertaining.
コメント