The Association Of Boxing Commissions (ABC) recently announced new weight classes for mixed martial arts. Those weight classes are going to be at 165 pounds, 175 pounds, 195 pounds and at 225 pounds, there are now 13 total weight classes officially recognized in MMA.
Jeff Novitzky is the UFC VP Of Athlete Health & Performance says the promotion fully supports the new eight classes.
“UFC supports the offering of additional weight classes as initially outlined in CSAC’s ’10-point plan’ and now adopted by the ABC,” Novitzky said in a statement to MMA Junkie. “UFC recently unveiled the implementation of two new female weight classes at 125 and 145 pounds, respectively, as the global brand now offers competition at four 10-pound increment weight classes. By adding these additional divisions, UFC believes it is providing more weight-specific options for UFC athletes to promote safer weight management goals. UFC also anticipates that regional talent, who are regularly scouted and imported to UFC’s roster, will soon be robust enough to support these additional weight classes with world-class talent that will eventually be promoted by the global brand.”
There has been no statement yet from the UFC as to when the weight classes are going to be implemented into the promotion.
UFC Chief Legal Counsel Hunter Campbell also says that while the UFC wants to add the new weight classes, it is going to be done in a meaningful way.
“Andy has led the charge on increasing the weight class requirements and divisions, and while I think it’s important to provide that opportunity, one of the things I want to discuss is doing so meaningfully, so that we don’t run the risk of continuing to create confusion,” he said. “The second is weight-cutting. One of the things I’m concerned with is the distinction between what the commissions will require of athletes and weight-cutting, and what are recommendations. We’ve spent a great deal of time trying to understand how athletes cut weight for the health and safety of the sport. There really is no one size fits all approach.”
While the UFC has commented on the new weight classes, neither Bellator MMA or the Professional Fighters League have issued a statement of any kind.
