UFC Women’s Flyweight Division Isn’t Official Just Yet

Earlier today (Wed. May 3, 2017) it was announced that the UFC would be crowning an inaugural women’s flyweight champion on next season’s The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).

That announcement may have been a bit premature, however, according to a report from MMA Fighting. The report suggests that the press release sent out today was an error, and one UFC official stated that it is still up for consideration. The same statement was given to Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole by UFC President Dana White.

Originally The Ultimate Fighter Season 26 (TUF 26) was set to feature women’s strawweights and women’s bantamweights, and men’s middleweights, however, that was later cancelled.

Here’s a bit from the press release earlier today:

“Women’s flyweights, between the ages of 21-34 with a winning record and at least three professional fights are invited to attend the open casting call in Las Vegas. The season will also be open to females on the current UFC roster that can successfully make 125-pounds throughout the duration of the season.”

Currently the UFC holds three female weight classes; strawweight (115 pounds), bantamweight (135 pounds), and featherweight (145 pounds). Many say that the gap between strawweight and bantamweight is far too large, opening up the need for a flyweight class (125 pounds).

We’ll keep you updated as more news becomes available…