Report | UFC flyweight division looking at a last man standing type scenario
There has been speculation regarding the UFC’s lightest men’s division being removed from the promotion for a few years now.
However, the talk ramped up late in 2018 as reports surfaced that the division’s dissolving was indeed underway as multiple flyweights coming off losses were getting let go.
Today on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show, Ariel Helwani reported how things will likely play out for the 125-pounders as 2019 carries on.
“[I’m] starting to hear that a lot of fighters are being told essentially this…” Helwani began. “If you’re coming off a loss at 125, there’s a very good chance that there isn’t a home for you [in the UFC]. If you’re coming off a win, you have the option to go up to 135 or you can fight things out at 125… Essentially until you lose.
“But it does seem as slowly but surely they are going to start phasing out the division.”
If this ends up being true, which it appears to be as flyweight fights between recent winners continue to get made while others move up to bantamweight, it will mean that flyweight will be around until there is just one ‘last man standing’.
The current champion of the division, Henry Cejudo, just recently defeated the bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw in 32 seconds at UFC Brooklyn.
It was Cejudo’s first title defense and now it seems that his only two options at the moment are either rematches with Joseph Benavidez to try and get a second defense, or a shot at Dillashaw’s title at 135-pounds.
When it comes to other high profile flyweights that are set to square off next, Jussier Formiga and Deiveson Figueiredo will clash at UFC Nashville.
As for the very next UFC flyweight bout, that will take place at UFC 234 on February 10 as Kai Kara-France faces Raulian Pava.
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 1/28/2019
Topics:
UFC
