Why Dana White doesn’t want a 165 pound division
“I’m here for seven more years, when I go they can make a 180, 165, 122, whatever they wanna do when I’m gone, they can do.”
The culture of extreme weight cutting is the most dangerous regulatory issue in mixed martial arts. Andy Foster, executive director of the California State Athletic Commission has created a 10 Point Plan to fix the deadly problem. It works. The ABC medical committee supports it. The ABC has adopted it. The UFC supports it and will continue to adopt further parts of it.
One of the changes is the addition of new weight divisions; UFC vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky has written a letter in support of new weight classes. Kevin Lee pointedly asked if he had to die before it was instituted. However, they are not one of the steps that been implemented to date.
There would additional weight classes added will be at 165, 175, 195 and 225 pounds, and the removal of the 170 pound division. In a recent interview with Barstool Sports’ Robbie Fox, UFC president Dana White said it would happen over his retired body, and explained why.
Not in the next seven years, that I promise, said White, as transcribed by Ryan Harkness for MMA Mania. I’m here for seven more years, when I go they can make a 180, 165, 122, whatever they wanna do when I’m gone, they can do. It ain’t happening while I’m here. What’s the appeal in it?
A lot of guys who know they can’t win at either 170 or 155 that would all jump ship. If you look at our 170 and 155 division, they’re stacked. You’ve got Usman, Woodley, Covington, Wonderboy, RDA, Masvidal, Askren, Till, Ponzinibbio, Lawler, Edwards. That’s 170. Lightweights at 155 you got Khabib, Conor, Tony, Poirier, Iaquinta, Kevin Lee who’s moving over to welterweight to make it even better, Edson Barboza, Gaethje, Pettis now is over in the welterweight division which makes it even better. Cerrone, Felder, Gillespie, Diaz.
You build a 165 pound division, you completely drain both of those divisions. It ain’t happening while I’m here. These divisions are stacked, we’ve got tons of great fights in both divisions. We don’t need a 165 pound division.