Now that Gary Shaw has announced that Nick Diaz will be fighting for the 160lbs title there has been a lot of discussion about new weight classes and old ones (which happens to be a subject I have been crowing about for years). It is my firm belief that because most in-shape, adult males weigh less than 200lbs. and most athletes cut considerable weight, a glut has developed around the lower end of the current 170lbs. Welterweight division. I propose new weight classes (and an additional one - 163lbs.) to clear this up:
210+ = Heavyweight
190-210 = Light Heavyweight
175-190 = Crusierweight
163-175 = Middleweight
152-163 = Welterweight
143-152 = Lightweight
135-143 = Featherweight
128-135 = Bantamweight
122-128 = Flyweight
Let me go over my reasons for each:
210+ - For the majority of Top HW's fighting at that weight is a choice. This would not result in any kind of mass exodus to the LHW.
190-210 - Adding an extra five pounds to this division will only make the cut easier for the current participants. Once again it will not result in a loss of HW's
175-190 - Same as above
163-175 - Same as above
152-163 - This new division would give the host of lighter fighters currently competing at 170lbs. a chance to have their own division and not be at such a terrible weight/strength disadvantage that they are at 170. It will also clear out a lot of the much heavier 155lbs. fighters right now making the LW division more competitive. Examples are: Mach Sakurai, Nick Diaz, Sean Sherk, BJ Penn, Takanori Gomi, Joe Stevenson, Tatsuya Kawajiri & Shinya Aoki
143-152 - Lowering the limit to 152 from 155lbs. will give it space from the new 163lbs. division and help keep out a couple of the heavier LW's.
135-143 - Going to 143 from 145lbs. is simply to space it out from the 152lbs. division.
128-135 - no need to change this weight class.
122-128 - a span of 125-135 is too much at this light weight.
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2 comments:
Is something like this even feasible down the line? I'd love to see something like that happen across the MMA board, but it seems like the UFC is all about dominating the sport and establishing ITS policies. That being the case, how would they go about rectifying the current champs and picking new ones?
My take would be that every champ who is closest in weight (and can make the new weight) would keep the championship. So the 185 champ becomes the 190 champ, the 170 becomes the 175, and so on.
I had previously thought the actual change would have to come down exclusively from The Athletic Commissions but apparently Gary Shaw is proving that theory wrong.
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