MMA Weekly reports that the UFC will begin its Flyweight division in 2012. As you recall, Dana White made the announcement that the UFC would add the 125 pound division in June.
Via MMA Weekly:
The flyweights have been rumored to make a home at Zuffa ever since the days of the WEC, but as of yet, the 125-pounders are still awaiting a home in the world’s biggest MMA promotion.
When the division gets up and running, White expects several fighters from their current roster to drop down in weight to help fill the flyweight division, just like what’s happened when they’ve debuted other weight classes in the past.
Payout Perspective:
The move to start the Flyweight division next year makes sense. The UFC has a huge fourth quarter of fights as well as another season of The Ultimate Fighter starting up in September. A rollout of the Flyweight division would just get buried. The UFC is likely hoping the showcase of Johnson vs. Cruz on Versus on October 1st will get the casual fans interested in the lighter weight divisions. It will be interesting to see how fans will receive the new division and whether it would ever headline a PPV. It will also be interesting to see how the UFC will decide a champion. Will there be a tournament? If so, how many fighters will be involved and how would you market these fighters so that fans will be interested?
I am very glad and excited to hear that Dana White is implementing a 125Lb division. I have a son Evan Velez that is a pro mma fighter with Team Bombsquad in Ithaca New York. He is 3-0 and is having his 4th fight in October in Atlantic City. I hope he gets considered for UFC.
I wonder if this would involve some sort of buyout of Tachi’s fighters, depending on their contracts.
Could very well happen although White indicated that some of the existing 135ers (and maybe 145ers) could drop down to compete at 125.