Rumor: New division and tournament coming?

[1specter]

Someone on Reddit who claims to have an inside scoop



Edit: f*** I'm sorry guys I wish I had copied the text. Looks like the Reddit poster deleted it but basically alluded to a 165 tournament involving GSP, Askren, Nate Diaz, Khabib and others

Click to read more...

 

[MaxV]

165?

 

[m9]

I read the original post. Essentially said the flyweight division is done (which has been discussed here) and then alluded to essentially a super-tournament involving 155/170lb guys which I guess would start a new division.

I do think this Askren/DJ swap means there is something going on in terms of a change in those weight classes. I actually point less to the Nate/Poirer thing and the Askren signing and more to that Woodley/Covington hasn't been booked yet. Wonder if they are waiting and making it at 175lbs, or if something else is up.

 

[SuperScript29]

I read the original post. Essentially said the flyweight division is done (which has been discussed here) and then alluded to essentially a super-tournament involving 155/170lb guys which I guess would start a new division.

I do think this Askren/DJ swap means there is something going on in terms of a change in those weight classes. I actually point less to the Nate/Poirer thing and the Askren signing and more to that Woodley/Covington hasn't been booked yet. Wonder if they are waiting and making it at 175lbs, or if something else is up.

While having a tourny with all those guys involved is very exciting, it actually sucks to have a 165 division with the existence of 170 and 155. Either rearrange those weight classes or don't clutter things up.

If you add 165, then I would do the following:
270 --> Super Heavyweight (Big HW's)
240 --> Heavyweight (Includes some of the smaller HWs and bigger LHW's)
200 --> Light Heavyweight (Will include the smaller LHWs and bigger MW's)
180 --> Middle Weight (Will include the smaller MW's and bigger WW's)
165 --> Welterweight (Smaller WW's and bigger LW's)
150 --> Lightweight (Smaller LWs and bigger FW's)
140 --> Featherweight (Everyone smaller than FW's)

Get rid of the lower weight classes.

 

[m9]

While having a tourny with all those guys involved is very exciting, it actually sucks to have a 165 division with the existence of 170 and 155. Either rearrange those weight classes or don't clutter things up.

If you add 165, then I would do the following:
270 --> Super Heavyweight (Big HW's)
240 --> Heavyweight (Includes some of the smaller HWs and bigger LHW's)
200 --> Light Heavyweight (Will include the smaller LHWs and bigger MW's)
180 --> Middle Weight (Will include the smaller MW's and bigger WW's)
165 --> Welterweight (Smaller WW's and bigger LW's)
150 --> Lightweight (Smaller LWs and bigger FW's)
140 --> Featherweight (Everyone smaller than FW's)

Get rid of the lower weight classes.

I started throwing some of this around in my head last night as well. It would be nice to see them include a way to limit weight-cutting into this whole thing. I'd like think moving divisions all up 5lbs would help the guys in each division, but I know it's just going to push guys down thinking that extra 5lbs will help them go from 170lbs to 160lbs or whatever. With that in mind:

265 - Same
205 - Same
190 - Extra 5lb bump to separate these weight classes. Should allow an extra 5lbs for the current 185lb crew and I don't think you'll see many guys go from 205 to 190.
175 - Extra 5lb bump as well.
165 - Essentially, this is the new weight class.
155 - Same
145 - Same
135 - Same

For UFC purposes, 185lb champ becomes the 190lb champ. 170lb champ becomes the 175lb champ. 165lb belt is fought for in some type of tournament or mini 4-man tournament.

 

[Neutrinos]

No need to complicate things

135
145
155
165
175
185
195
205

How the heavier divisions get divided is where the conversation should begin

 

[m9]

No need to complicate things

135
145
155
165
175
185
195
205

How the heavier divisions get divided is where the conversation should begin

I don't think there's a need to add two new weight classes right now. There is no depth as is at 205lbs and this won't help things.

 

[Peter Griffin]

Just leave 185 and 205 alone and bump 170 up to 175. I don't see a need to increase the MW division to 190lbs. There are plenty of guys that have bounced between divisions and have had success.

 

[Peasy]

https://i.redd.it/xuzkwobjc4v11.jpg

Apparently they broke the Khabib Conor fight.

If this happens, then Tony has to fight Conor.

 

[Neutrinos]

I don't think there's a need to add two new weight classes right now. There is no depth as is at 205lbs and this won't help things.

It might not be a need, but we should all fighters competing at their optimal weight class

 

[pistolpete11]

I really, really, really, really, really, really want to believe that the UFC is doing a 165lb tournament, but if that post listed GSP as one of the guys in it, it loses a lot of credibility for me. GSP wants to hand pick his opponents based on how big the name is, the likelihood that he would win, and whether it is for a belt. He's not going to get tied up in a tournament against unknown opponents. Probably the same is true of Conor and maybe a couple other guys that should probably be included in that tournament.

If I had to guess, I'd say Ali's tweet is Khabib vs. GSP for the 155lb belt with an outside chance it is for the inaugural 165lb belt.

 

[Rocko604]

The Association of Boxing Commissions approved 4 new weight classes last year (165, 175, 195, 225) but they have not been recognized under the Unified Rules of MMA. I can see the UFC bringing in 165 and bumping welterweight to 175, but I don't see MW or LHW changing. I do like the idea of middleweight being 190 if welterweight goes to 175, however.