Dana White Updates Status Of UFC Flyweight Division
The mixed martial arts (MMA) world is still digesting the amazing UFC Denver main event finish where Yair Rodriguez knocked out Chan Sung Jung with one second left (watch highlights here). There’s still some time for an update on the UFC flyweight division.
Longtime former champion Demetrious Johnson was recently traded to ONE Championship for their former welterweight champ Ben Askren. Many believed the flyweight division was on the chopping block as a result. Indeed, that theory wasn’t disproved when one flyweight claimed he had been released because of it.
However, the UFC proved the theory wrong – at least for the immediate future. A champion vs. champion fight featuring TJ Dillashaw vs. Henry Cejudo was confirmed for January’s UFC 233. The bout is to be contested for Cejudo’s newly-won 125-pound title. He won the belt from “Mighty Mouse” at August’s UFC 227.
With the insanity of UFC Denver still resonating, UFC president Dana White was as amazed as everyone, if not more so due to his position. But once he was done reacting to the insane elbow on the FOX Sports 1-aired post-fight show, White updated another current hot topic involving the oft-talked-about flyweight division. He claimed the UFC was ‘working on some things’:
“Yeah, listen. We’re working on some things right now with that division. Dillashaw wants to win two belts, you know, like, there’s five or six guys who have done it. He wants to do it. Cejudo is absolutely fine fighting at that weight instead of going to 135, so we made it.”
Future Of Flyweight
It will remain to be seen what White’s cryptic things will entail for the flyweight ranks. Rumor has it that Dillashaw vs. Cejudo may be the final UFC flyweight title fight, but again, we’ll see.
There’s little doubt that fight is a big one, yet it’s hard to see what would be next in terms of excitement for the winner. There are obviously solid fighters at 125 in the UFC. They just aren’t necessarily what the UFC’s current ownership is looking for. If Johnson couldn’t headline a strong pay-per-view, it’s unlikely any flyweight left will either.
Regardless, the division isn’t going anywhere right now. It could soon, but at least one more big fight will take place in the class. What do you think? Should the UFC dissolve flyweight or keep it going with a new idea and direction?
