UFC will create the flyweight category

After the success of the 14th season of reality show The Ultimate Fighter, which featured fighters from the featherweight and bantamweight categories for the first time, the UFC decided to go further. After months of rumors, president Dana White announced at the UFC On FOX 2 press conference last Wednesday that the organization will finally add a flyweight division, whose limit goes up to 125 pounds or 57 kilograms, the lightest weight set. in the MMA Unified Rules.

"Will happen. I told you it would happen and it will happen this weekend,” White said when asked about the creation of the flyweight division.

The expectation is that some fighters already signed by the UFC will be able to migrate. It is the case that Joseph Benavidez (Photo) Demetrious Johnson and Chris Cariaso. Some members of TUF 14 will also be able to join the new category. But it is not the president's intention to force anyone to change category:

“I’m not going to force anyone to come down. These guys can make their own decisions, they can choose which division they prefer to fight in. But I feel like the flyweight division is going to be just as tough as the lightweight or welterweight division. There is everything to have a lot of talent there.”

Dana White also added, saying that he is thinking about hiring foreign fighters in countries with a greater propensity for smaller athletes:

“I think we’re going to see a lot of Hispanics and Asians coming here to fight in this 57-pound weight class.”

Photo: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC