Is it time the UFC expanded their divisions?

With all the current divisions basically minus Lightweight and Heavyweight having dominant champions is it time the UFC expanded their divisions and made it easier for guys like GSP and Anderson to move up a division when they have cleaned out their current ones and for guys like Hendo and Vitor to have a proper division?

My idea would be to have 12 divisions-

115- Paperweight*
125- Flyweight
135- Bantamweight
145- Featherweight
155- Lightweight
165- Light-Welterweight
175- Welterweight
185- Middleweight
195- Super-Middleweight
205- Light-Heavyweight
215- Cruiserweight
225- Super-Cruiserweight*
265- Heavyweight

* Only 1 of these 2 weight classes would make it.

A terrible idea two years ago, a terrible idea now. Middleweight is already thin and right now so is Light Heavyweight after the top 5 under Jones(Rashad, Machida, Rampage, Hendo, Shogun). What your proposing splits divisions where there is already a clear drop in talent outside of the top 5 or 6. There's no need whatsoever for a split between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight or Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight.

pass

Not even close to enough quality fighters/depth

No.

The only one i'll entertain is cruiserweight, but even then i don't see enough 230-240 guys struggling as HW's to make it necessary with the success of JDS, Cain, Werdum, Fedor over the years, Nog, etc. I think there will come a day that the'll have to add a specific weight between 205 and 265, but that day has not come yet. Talks of a new era at HW for guys who cut to get to 265 wiping out the smaller guys were greatly exaggerated.

There is no one left for GSP and Anderson to fight and soon there will be no one for Jon Jones. At least having a few more divisions would create a few more stars and since it's only 10 pounds guys like GSP, Anderson and Jones can move up a division.

freakzilla wrote:

There is no one left for GSP and Anderson to fight and soon there will be no one for Jon Jones. At least having a few more divisions would create a few more stars and since it's only 10 pounds guys like GSP, Anderson and Jones can move up a division.

It's only 15lbs for GSP to move up, and Anderson has fought at Light Heavyweight already. Jones will eventually have to move to Heavyweight as it is so why create a division almost nobody would inhabit when it's just not needed?

No.

No.

Ludo wrote:

freakzilla wrote:

There is no one left for GSP and Anderson to fight and soon there will be no one for Jon Jones. At least having a few more divisions would create a few more stars and since it's only 10 pounds guys like GSP, Anderson and Jones can move up a division.

It's only 15lbs for GSP to move up, and Anderson has fought at Light Heavyweight already. Jones will eventually have to move to Heavyweight as it is so why create a division almost nobody would inhabit when it's just not needed?

We know Anderson wont move up to 205. If there was a 195 division I'm sure he would be more willing to move up. That would have the effect that GSP would also move up to 185 as he would've gotten more accustomed to 175 and it's only a 10 pound difference. Jones could move up to 215 and fight bigger guys that have dropped down in preparation for his jump to heavyweight. There is no one at all for Jones to fight after he beats Rashad and Hendo at 205. GSP has no match at 170 and if Anderson beats Sonnen again then what?

125- Flyweight= Joseph Benavidez
135- Bantamweight= Dominick Cruz
145- Featherweight= Jose Aldo
155- Lightweight= Frankie Edgar
165- Light-Welterweight= Gray Maynard
175- Welterweight= Carlos Condit
185- Middleweight= GSP
195- Super-Middleweight= Anderson Silva
205- Light-Heavyweight= Rashad Evans
215- Cruiserweight= Jon Jones
225- Super-Cruiserweight= Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
265- Heavyweight= JDS

Wouldn't be too bad.

Where are you getting all these fighters to fill out those divisions? They don't exist

No for me also.

I think the division structure for MMA could be altered, but for the UFC itself, they should be stuck with their existing divisions for quite a while. As mentioned the only reasonable exception would be cruiserweight, but the population of fighters to fill it along with light heavyweight and heavyweight makes in unfeasible.

Awesome idea! not only would it make preliminary card fighters unwatchable, it would also lead to the decline in quality of UFC champion significantly. Im sure the fighters would also love the significantly swollen roster, stopping fighter pay increases in their tracks. Although UFC fights would become much harder to come by in general as the number of available UFC fights a year would be split between a 50% larger fighter pool, which would send more fighters into the work force, freeing them of the financial stress of fighting. The dilution of the PPV market with title fights with less appeal means less casuals ruining the sport. freak, I think youre brilliant.

Nothing you said there makes any sense Wolf. You wouldn't have to hire any new fighters as there would just be a little less fighters in each division and I never said add more PPV's. It would just be the same fighters in a new division. At most bring some fighters over from Strikeforce.

The promotion of a weight class needs at least X number of fighters on Y number of shows. They have a basic formula that guarantees fans are able to regularly see the important fighters for a division, where they have enough talent to constantly aerate the divisions with fresh faces to prevent stagnation. Your changes would totally fuck the system they have now up. Fighters would be individually less visible while in an environment where fans would be required to know significantly more. The UFC already has more maincard fighters than maincard fight spots, especially in the lighter classes. Youd have guys in huge divisional fights no one has ever heard of. No way could you do it without swelling the roster significantly and adding more shows. But that would just oversaturate the market with a lower quality product.

There is no reason to do this. there are not significant size differences causing issues or hurting fighters. No safety reasons. In most cases the size differences we do see just add elements of interest. Screw the idea of a bland sport where everyone is identical in size. Clearly we dont need 170 pounders fighting at HW nowdays, but the day we completely lose the "size vs skill" question will be the day a good piece of the MMA spirit dies.
Truly, fuck dat.

There is no upside to this idea. This idea isn't just unneeded, it would totally ruin mma.

Freak your heresy offends the MMA gods. Repent, confess, and ye may be spared an eternity of suffering in the lake of eternal Matt Lindlands smelly fight gear

A shitty idea. The UFC is already having problems filling cards, hence the scrapping of a planned event at Montreal. If the UFC were to do anything, I would say contraction would be better, than expansion. I think in the next 5 years as the sport makes its third boost in popularity, it may need to be expanded with all the new blood that will be added, but we are not there yet.

The UFC cannot change the weight classes. They are regulated by the Athletic Commissions and set in the unified rules. They are the one's that set them. The UFC can petition for a change but it's not going to happen any time soon. This has been brought up numerous times and the ABC which oversees MMA has said no to weight class additions.

I don't want a chnage, but if there was it needs to be a cruiser weight at 225 or 230.

I still kinda want a cruiserweight division. I'm just not sure there is enough talent yet to borrow from the LHW and HW division.

No !