How Getting Rid of the Flyweight Division Helps the UFC

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For the past few weeks, it was reported that the UFC has been in talks of dissolving the men’s Flyweight division. In result, fighters currently within the Flyweight division have been released or forced to jump up to Bantamweight.

Since the trade of Demetrious Johnson to ONE Championship, the appeal of the Flyweight division has quickly depleted. Therefore, by forcing fighters to bump up a weight class or two, it may actually support the UFC’s agenda.

In general, the Flyweight division has never made sense. Fighters will be better off sticking at a 135 lb weight class, partly due to health concerns about weight management. The UFC will now deal with less weight cutting problems, and there is always the mystery of who will emerge in the Bantamweight division.

The current Flyweight champion, Henry Cejudo, has had talks about going up to Bantamweight so he can fight the current champion, TJ Dillashaw. If that doesn’t add to the excitement, then don’t forget Sergio Pettis and John Dodson are big names joining the division as well.

Destroying one division to help out another is the best plan, since many of those Flyweight fighters are naturally built to sit as a Bantamweight or Featherweight.

The Flyweight division contains roughly 49 fighters, but that number is dependent on who continues to see the chopping block. It is rumored that 15-20 original Flyweight fighters will jump up a weight class and compete in the UFC.

The Flyweight division helped promote a variety of fighters, but as it dissolves, it will help out the UFC. At this rate, fighters moving up to Bantamweight are put in a position of “sink or swim”, but more cuts seem to be the horizon.

Featured Image: ESPN