UFC will add 115-pound division, won't consider cruiserweight

http://mmajunkie.com/news/29802/dana-white-says-ufc-would-add-115-pound-division-before-considering-cruiserweight.mma
CALGARY – It's a question Dana White has fielded before, and usually his answer is quick and simple.

But on Thursday, the UFC president tossed a little curveball during a pre-fight news conference for Saturday's UFC 149 pay-per-view event in Calgary.

When asked if the UFC would soon open up a cruiserweight division as a home for those in-between heavyweights who are too big to drop to 205 pounds, but are undersized compared to those in the division that max out at 265, White said if anything, the promotion is likely to go just the opposite.

"We have not considered (a cruiserweight division)," White said. "A lot of people ask me about adding another division. If we do add another division anytime soon, it's going to be a lighter one."

That division, White said, would be 115 pounds. Right now, the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial official recognize nine weight classes – eight of which are used in the UFC. Only the super-heavyweight class, which has no upper weight limit, is not a part of the UFC. The Unified Rules do not currently recognize a 115-pound class, which goes by different names depending on promotion, country and gender.

This past December, the UFC officially announced the addition of a flyweight division – 125 pounds. The new weight class started with a four-man tournament in March that was immediately met with controversy when Demetrious Johnson and Ian McCall fought to a draw that should have gone to a special fourth round – but didn't due to a commission member's error in Sydney.

Johnson and McCall rematched in June, with Johnson earning a unanimous-decision win to move on to the UFC's first flyweight title fight against Joseph Benavidez, who advanced in the four-man bracket with a win over Yasuhiro Urushitani.

Johnson and Benavidez in September will headline UFC 152 in Toronto with the first flyweight title up for grabs.

The UFC's flyweight roster at UFC.com consists of only 12 fighters – most of whom dropped down to the class from bantamweight after the division was announced.

When the division was announced, White said he was excited about the potential for bringing talent to the weight class.

"I have a feeling that 125-pound division is going to be as nasty as (155) and (170)," White said. "There's going to be a lot of talent there. At 125 pounds, I think you're going to see a lot of Hispanic and Asian fighters now coming to come compete at that weight."

I have to agree. Heavyweight is already a relatively weak division, Cruiserweight takes some of it's best fighters and sucks them into an even smaller division that hurts two divisions.

Ludo wrote:

I have to agree. Heavyweight is already a relatively weak division, Cruiserweight takes some of it's best fighters and sucks them into an even smaller division that hurts two divisions.

I agree. I like the LHW and HW divisions just fine how they are. I don't want to take talent from those divisions. 115lb division should feature 6 min rounds. Would be sweet.

OU wrote:

Ludo wrote:

I have to agree. Heavyweight is already a relatively weak division, Cruiserweight takes some of it's best fighters and sucks them into an even smaller division that hurts two divisions.

I agree. I like the LHW and HW divisions just fine how they are. I don't want to take talent from those divisions. 115lb division should feature 6 min rounds. Would be sweet.

it would give KenFlo another crack at a belt too!

ADD WOMEN

UFC should add woman how boxing PPVs added in Christy Martin, Layla Ali, Vonda Ward and Ann Wolfe into the undercard.

Just sign exclusive 1 fight contracts with some talented women every now and then

There's no need for a Cruiserweight division.

The division is coming.
http://mmajunkie.com/news/30012/dana-white-reaffirms-stance-on-115-pound-division-eventually-coming-to-the-ufc.mma

Quote :

"It'll happen. I don't know (how soon)," White told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "(But) we're going into Asia, Mexico, going into South America – and traditionally, they're all smaller guys."

got to agree with bird at this point bring in a 135 womens instead of 115 and if the HW division was even deeper a CW would be sweet

So I take it this will be Strawweight then ?

Ali wrote:

So I take it this will be Strawweight then ?

I think different promotions have different names for it. But yeah it would probably be straw.

Strawweight or Atomweight.

tonight... i got told my dick was big! i win you bastards!

im gonna hate tomorrow!

killerofchicken wrote:

tonight... i got told my dick was big! i win you bastards!

Yeah but a truck driver telling you that at a bathroom with gloryholes doesn't count.

if a man weighs under 115 pounds he needs to be getting a hot meal before considering fighting in the UFC.