Should UFC Get Rid Of The Flyweight Division?
The UFC Flyweight division is the newest male weight class in the UFC but it seems to be falling apart and why is that? There seems to be a lack on interest and they don’t sell PPV’s. Let’s take UFC 174 for instance, Demetrious Johnson headlined the card against Ali Bagautinov and the card did 115,000 while a few years later, he defended the flyweight title against John Dodson at UFC 191, that card did a 115,000. UFC 178 did 205,000 while Johnson headlined the card, it wasn’t the reason the fans bought the card. Yoel Romero, Eddie Alvarez, Donald Cerrone, Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, Stephen Thompson, Amanda Nunes and Dominick Cruz all fought on the same card and that insane name power is why people bought the card but why should UFC get rid of the flyweight division.
At the time of writing, Henry Cejudo is heading up to bantamweight to fight Marlon Moraes for the vacant bantamweight title which I believe will be the beginning of the end of the flyweight division. With the champion, heading up to bantamweight, the flyweight division doesn’t really have a clear future. The last flyweight fight was at UFC 236 and that was over a month ago - the next scheduled flyweight fight is schedule to take place on the 29th of June - seriously. This will mark 77 days between flyweight fights and if you want to continue a division, this is not the way to do it. It doesn’t help either that UFC essentially thanosed the division by releasing a few fighters in said weight class and that begs the question; should they just get rid of the division.
Yes. The flyweight division has done no favours for the UFC, while some fights may be entertaining, there just a lack of general interest in the division. From the top of my head, I can name around 6 flyweight fighter and that’s being generous, let’s give it a shot; Cejudo, Pettis, Ruia, Formiga, Benavidez and ? I can’t do it! Let’s look at any other weight class, welterweight? Usman, Covington, Woodley, Thompson, Pettis, Till, Lawler, Askren, Dos Anjos, Lee - I could keep going too but that just proves the point! UFC should get rid of the flyweight division, there’s clearly no real direction for the division and that leads the UFC to ask the question; either jump to bantamweight or fight elsewhere.