Rogan: UFC will likely add new weight divisions eventually
Joe Rogan: “I also think the UFC is probably gonna have to add more weight classes eventually, because there’s not enough weight classes.”
Boxing traditionally had eight weight divisions:
Flyweight: 112 lbs (50,802kg)
Bantamweight: 118 lbs lbs (53,525kg)
Featherweight: 126 lbs (57,153 kg)
Lightweight: 135 lbs (61,235 kg)
Welterweight: 147 lbs (66,678 kg)
Middleweight: 160 lbs (72,574 kg)
Light Heavyweight: 175 lbs (79,378 kg)
Heavyweight: (unlimited)
Now boxing is a hot mess, with 17 weight divisions for men.
Minimumweight (WBC/WBA/IBF) or Mini Flyweight (WBO): 105 lbs (47.627 kg)
Light Flyweight (WBC/WBA/IBF) Junior Flyweight (WBO): 108 lbs (48.988 kg)
Flyweight (WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO): 112 lbs (50.802 kg)
Super Flyweight (WBC/WBA/IBF) Junior Bantamweight (WBO) 115 lbs (52.163 kg)
Bantamweight (WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO 118 lbs (53.525 kg)
Super Bantamweight (WBC/WBA/IBF) Junior Featherweight (WBO) 122 lbs (55.225 kg)
Featherweight (WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO 126 lbs (57.153 kg)
Super Featherweight (WBC/WBA/IBF) Junior Lightweight (WBO) 130 lbs (58.967 kg) Lightweight (WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO) 135 lbs (61.235 kg)
Super Lightweight (WBC/WBA/IBF) Junior Welterweight (WBO) 140 lbs (63.503 kg)
Welterweight (WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO) 147 lbs (66.678 kg)
Super Welterweight (WBC/WBA/IBF) Junior Middleweight (WBO) 154 lbs (69.85 kg)
Middleweight (WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO) 160 lbs (72.574 kg)
Super Middleweight (WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO) 168 lbs (76.203 kg)
Light Heavyweight (WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO) 175 lbs (79.378 kg)
Cruiserweight (WBC/WBA/IBF) Junior Heavyweight (WBO) 200 lbs (90.892 kg)
Heavyweight (WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO) > 200 lbs (> 90.892 kg)
To understand why boxing now suffers eight weight divisions just from 130 down, understand that sanctioning bodies only get paid for title bouts.
Mixed martial arts started with no weight divisions, but when in 2000 the New Jersey State Athletic Commission codified the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, there were nine divisions.
Flyweight: 125 lbs (56.7 kg)
Bantamweight: 135 lbs (61.2 kg)
Featherweight: 145 lbs (65.8 kg)
Lightweight: 155 lbs (70.3 kg)
Welterweight: 170 lbs (77.1 kg)
Middleweight: 185 lbs (83.9 kg)
Light Heavyweight: 205 lbs (93.0 kg)
Heavyweight: 265 lbs (120.2 kg)
Super Heavyweight: No weight limit
The UFC has never had a 265+ division, citing the lack of depth, so the men’s division has had eight divisions, just like boxing traditionally enjoyed. UFC president Dana White, who comes from a boxing background, was long protective of traditional eight.
With eight weigh divisions, you can remember all the champions. With 17 weight divisions and four sanctioning bodies and The Ring, plus simultaneous champions, super champions and interim champions, it is possible that no one on Earth can name every champion in boxing.
In 2008, the Association of Boxing Commissions proposed expanding the weight classes to 14.
Flyweight: 105 lbs
Super flyweight: 115 lbs
Bantamweight: 125 lbs
Super bantamweight: 135 lbs
Featherweight: 145 lbs
Lightweight: 155 lbs
Super lightweight: 165 lbs
Welterweight: 175 lbs
Super welterweight: 185 lbs
Middleweight: 195 lbs
Super middleweight: 205 lbs
Light heavyweight: 225 lbs
Heavyweight: 265 lbs
Super heavyweight: No weight limit
Several state commissions, most notably Ohio, resisted the change, as did the UFC, and others, and the ABC rejected the changes in 2009.
Now on his JRE podcast, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan says he thinks the UFC will likely add some divisions in the future.
“I also think the UFC is probably gonna have to add more weight classes eventually, because there’s not enough weight classes,” said Rogan, as transcribed by Lewis Mckeever for BE. “There’s some big gaps – like 185 and 205, that’s a 20 lbs. weight class – that’s a giant gap. I think for guys that are like ‘tweeners, there’s guys that are like too big for this weight but too small for that weight – they could use a 195 – I think every 10 lbs. would be reasonable.”
The UFC has the current eight men’s classes and two for the women:
Strawweight: 115
Bantamweight 135
If the UFC was to add divisions, where should they be?
The most obvious spot is at 225 or 230, but the Association of Boxing Commissions has looked at the issue, and found no advantage for fighters over that when they face fighters under that. And the top four heavyweights could all make 230 effortlessly:
Champion: Fabricio Werdum (239)
#!: Cain Velasquez (240)
#2: Junior Dos Santos (238)
#3: Stipe Miocic (240)