Bellator MMA plans to add a new division for the first time since 2014

Bellator MMA is rolling out a new division.

MMAJunkie.com reports that Bellator is expected to introduce the men’s flyweight division soon. While a date hasn’t been revealed, the report noted that the launch will be taking place in “the coming days.”

The roster for the men’s flyweight division in Bellator is unknown at this time. The promotion certainly has fighters who are no strangers to the 125-pound weight class. Former Bellator Bantamweight Champion Kyoji Horiguchi once competed in the UFC’s flyweight division. Whether or not he’ll return to 125 pounds for Bellator’s new weight class remains to be seen.

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Sergio Pettis, the reigning Bellator Bantamweight Champion, is also a former flyweight. He’s scheduled for a title defense against Bellator Featherweight Champion Patrico “Pitbull” Freire. If Pettis gets past Freire, then he’ll have the interim 135-pound titleholder Patchy Mix waiting. So, depending on the success he has, Pettis may not be moving back down for a while unless he feels it’s the right move or he’s eyeing “champ-champ” status.

Bellator’s Past Stance On Men’s Flyweight Division

Bellator’s current stance on the men’s flyweight division is quite different than years past. Back in 2019, Bellator President Scott Coker told reporters that a men’s 125-pound weight class simply wasn’t in the cards (h/t MMAJunkie).

“We’ve talked about it, but we haven’t taken any action obviously,” Coker said. “For right now, we’re going to focus on the divisions we have. We’re very excited about the finals of the welterweight tournament and we’re very excited about the launch of the featherweight tournament. We’re going to have our hands full with these events.

“We’re going to have our hands full,” Coker said. “If at some point, we felt like it was something we wanted to do, we’d really think it through. I don’t want to be jumping in and out of different weight classes. If we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it right.”

It looks like now is the time to “do it right.”