UFC supports new weight classes, anticipates more divisions when time is right

The UFC already promotes 12 active divisions inside the octagon, so adding more seems like a stretch.

But after the Association of Boxing Commissions adopted four new weight classes with the aim of curbing extreme weight-cutting, the industry-leader appears open to the idea.

Jeff Novitzky, the UFC’s vice president of athlete health and performance, sent MMAjunkie a statement backing a 10-point plan that includes the new divisions. He also indicated expending the currently promoted divisions is a possibility if the circumstances are right.

“UFC supports the offering of additional weight classes as initially outlined in CSAC’s ’10-point plan’ and now adopted by the ABC,” the statement read. “UFC recently unveiled the implementation of two new female weight classes at 125 and 145 pounds, respectively, as the global brand now offers competition at four 10-pound increment weight classes. By adding these additional divisions, UFC believes it is providing more weight-specific options for UFC athletes to promote safer weight management goals.

“UFC also anticipates that regional talent, who are regularly scouted and imported to UFC’s roster, will soon be robust enough to support these additional weight classes with world-class talent that will eventually be promoted by the global brand.”

The new divisions, which include 165 pounds (super lightweight), 175 pounds (super welterweight), 195 pounds (super middleweight), and 225 pounds (cruiserweight), present alternatives for fighters who often cut a large amount of weight to fit into the current divisions. They also reduce the possible weight disparity between combatants in the heaviest classes.

Paired with other measures such as steeper fines for weight misses, dehydration checks and weight limitations on fight day, the 10-point plan is the most aggressive measure to date against excessive weight cutting.

The new divisions wedge between two marquee talent pools in the UFC and Bellator – the lightweight and welterweight division. The UFC isn’t getting rid of those. But the theory, according to veteran regulator Andy Foster, is that new fighters and veterans on the regional circuit will begin to adopt them over time, creating a talent pipeline that can be promoted by the industry-leaders.

“If you’ve got a bunch of fighters at 170 and this body eliminates (the welterweight class), that’s a terrible business idea,” Foster, who’s the executive director of the California State Athletic Commission, said at the 2017 ABC convention. “But they understand the problem with dehydration. I know the UFC is not going to open 175 this afternoon. But it sets it up for the future.”

Just this past weekend at UFC 214, the Foster-led CSAC pushed UFC lightweight vet Drew Dober to move up to the welterweight division because his fight-day weight was around 184 pounds, or 18 percent heavier than the lightweight cutoff. The 10-point plan recommends a fighter be no more than 10 percent heavier.

At the 2017 ABC convention, Novitzky touted the UFC’s efforts against excessive weight-cutting. He noted 20 percent of its roster has visited the UFC Performance Institute (check out the video above), where fighters can consult with weight-management advisors to make sure they’re not losing too much. He added that fighters are weighed and monitored from the moment they arrive on fight week.

Since implementing early weigh-ins in May 2016, Novitzky pointed out more fighters had missed weight. But he indicated that’s a positive because it identifies those who need to move weight classes.

UFC chief legal counsel Hunter Campbell offered a slight caveat on any sweeping plan to overall the process. He said while the industry-leader is interested in meaningful changes, he indicated the goal is to eliminate “consumer confusion by diluting the talent pool with additional weight divisions.”

“Andy has led the charge on increasing the weight class requirements and divisions, and while I think it’s important to provide that opportunity, one of the things I want to discuss is doing so meaningfully, so that we don’t run the risk of continuing to create confusion,” he added. “The second is weight-cutting.

“One of the things I’m concerned with is the distinction between what the commissions will require of athletes and weight-cutting, and what are recommendations. We’ve spent a great deal of time trying to understand how athletes cut weight for the health and safety of the sport. There really is no one size fits all approach.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.