Uncertainty around Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC still remains. The most popular mixed martial artist in history and former two-division UFC champion, ‘Notorious’ has been out of the octagon for nearly three years after breaking his leg in his UFC 264 clash against Dustin Poirier in 2021.

Last December, the Irishman announced in a video on New Year’s eve that he would be fighting rival TUF 31 coach Michael Chandler at middleweight on June 29, which was quickly denied by UFC CEO Dana White. Amid this uncertainty, there have been some explosive rumors about the UFC mulling two new weight divisions, one of them tailor-made for ‘Notorious.’ Former two-division champion and UFC commentator Daniel Cormier and former Bellator champion Ben Askren had some unique suggestions for White on what to do with the division as well as where McGregor fits into it.

Rumored 165-lbs division to not have championship

According to rumors, the UFC may scrap its 170-pound welterweight title in the near future. Instead, it may be replaced by two new divisions, 165 pounds and 175 pounds. The UFC currently has a 155-pound lightweight division, a 170-pound welterweight, and a 180-pound middleweight division.

On his podcast with Ben Askren, Daniel Cormier suggested that the 165-pound division to have the BMF title at the top instead of a 165-pound title. “If you don’t want to do a 165-pound championship, make 165 a weight class for only BMFs and then run the BMF title through 165 pounds. Imagine that, if 165 was the home of the BMF Championship how many people would do it?” he said.

Askren agreed, saying that he could see many 155-pounders and 170-pounders choosing to fight at 165 for the BMF belt currently held by Justin Gaethje. However, ‘DC’ felt this may be unfair to the likes of Gaethje and his upcoming UFC 300 opponent, former featherweight champion Max Holloway, since they were championship-level fighters.

“Could you imagine though like Ben if you make 165 the home of the BMF and all those guys… you get all those guys who aren’t necessarily champs right now. Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway fighting for the BMF title. While it makes sense in Dustin Poirier it almost feels like it’s not right because those guys are actually championship-level fighters,” the New Orleans native added. While the co-hosts may have found common ground on the title for the speculated 165-pound division’s title, they disagreed vigorously after Cormier suggested Conor McGregor fight for its title first.

‘DC’ thinks Conor McGregor may be best 165-pound fighter in the world

Daniel Cormier felt that if the UFC were to make a new 165-pound division, Conor McGregor should be the first to fight for its title. Ben Askren disagreed strongly, citing McGregor’s long period of inactivity and the fact that he won his last fight against anyone of note back in 2016 when “Barack Obama was President.” Cormier was adamant, however, and insisted that maybe ‘Notorious’ is the best 165-pound fighter in the world despite everything Askren pointed to.

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“But do you know that Conor McGregor is not the best 165 pound fighter in the world? You don’t know that because you’ve never seen it… I’m serious. You don’t know that because you’ve never seen it. What if Conor McGregor at 165 is the perfect spot for him?” he asked the Askren. What do you think about Daniel Corimer’s suggestions about the 165-pound division?

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