In mixed martial arts, the whole makeup of a weight class can change in the course of one event. So when you think about all the changes that have gone on in the UFC’s 155-pound division since Caol Uno left it in 2003, you’re talking about a major and unprecedented upheaval.
This is a division that got scrapped for nearly two years and that didn’t have a champion for four. Among the top fighters at 155 in the UFC in 2003, like BJ Penn, Matt Serra, Din Thomas, Yves Edwards, and Hermes Franca, only Franca and current champion Penn remain in the division.
But for the 34-year old Uno, there’s always been unfinished business in the UFC. Sure, he went on to compile a 10-5-1 record with wins over Rich Clementi, Ivan Menjivar, Mitsuhiro Ishida, and bouts against Shinya Aoki, Joachim Hansen, Gesias Cavalcante and Kid Yamamoto since leaving the Octagon following his 2003 loss to Franca, but to him, the time is right to return for another run at the lightweight crown.
I wanted to challenge in the UFC again, said Uno through translator Gen Isono. This is the category where the best fighters meet and I missed the unique atmosphere, which is very different from Japanese events.
Caol Uno Finally Returns
In mixed martial arts, the whole makeup of a weight class can change in the course of one event. So when you think about all the changes that have gone on in the UFC’s 155-pound division since Caol Uno left it in 2003, you’re talking about a major and unprecedented upheaval. This is a division…
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