Reports have started surfacing recently that the UFC may be getting rid of the men’s flyweight division in the future, especially after former UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson was traded to One Championship.
Former two division UFC champion Conor McGregor took aim at One Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong for allegedly ruining the division, but Johnson says that McGregor doesn’t care about the flyweights anyway.
“I don’t get where this logic comes behind that,” Johnson said to BJPenn.com. “What makes him think Chatri owes somebody something? If he’s worried flyweights losing their jobs, I’m pretty sure he has a huge stake in the UFC company now,. I’m sure he can go to Dana, and be like Dana, ‘Keep these guys, these guys are fucking amazing. Let’s try to do this right. Let’s try to promote them.’ Facilitate a meeting of those who can [change things], with Proper Whiskey. ‘Let’s sit down and have a good talk.’ I’m sure he could come up with something if he really wanted to do it. As I said, that’s Conor’s opinion of what he thinks should happen. This is a guy who just business, you know, the Barclay’s Center [thing], throwing the dolly in the bus, hurting multiple people. I truly think he doesn’t care. But that’s just my personal opinion.”
UFC Flyweight Champion Henry Cejudo is defending the gold against UFC Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw next month at UFC 233, meaning the division will live on for a little while in 2019.
Johnson must now change his focus and put his energy towards becoming a title holder in One Championship.
“I want to be a champion,” Johnson said. “I know it’s not going to be easy. I’m just looking forward to being able to do my best over at ONE Championship and see where we go from there.”
McGregor never even competed in the UFC Flyweight Division or at flyweight in any MMA promotion, with featherweight serving as the smallest weight class the Irishman competed at.
