UFC New Weight Class: Dana White’s Rumored Move for Conor McGregor Receives Final Verdict From Insider

There have been rumors the UFC is looking to introduce another weight division to bridge the 155 pound lightweight and the 185-pound middleweight division. The proposed 165-pound division will replace the current 170-pound welterweight division.

One of the reasons conjectured around this move is that the UFC wants to accommodate Conor McGregor (whose prospects at lightweight do not seem very good given his inactivity and recent run of form) and give him the first title shot of the new 165-pound division. MMA journalist Luke Thomas feels the new division would be the right way to go.

Luke Thomas urges UFC to create 165-lbs division

During a Q and A session on his YouTube channel, MMA analyst Luke Thomas was asked what he thought of the rumored 165-pound division. The journalist was all in favor of the idea and felt there was enough talent in the 155 and 170 pound divisions to make it a competitive division pretty quickly.

“I would love this whether they’re doing it or not I don’t have any inside information, I absolutely love this idea. There is a video… I did with my old producer, Mike… where we did a draft picking people from 170 and 155 and then in the course of that filling out a 165lb roster,” he said.

While this would, he felt, adversely affect the lightweight division roster in the short-term, the ultra-competitive division would be replenished over time and felt that the UFC should go ahead and rationalize the divisions so there would be a new weight class every 10 pounds from 135 to 185.

“‘Oh, you’re going to make 155 and 175 weaker.’ Probably but you’re going to get another strong division. I think over time 155 would replenish itself… these are going to be strong divisions no matter what. This is the way to go I firmly believe it’s a great idea. I hope that they do it,” he added. On the topic of who should fight for the title.

Uncertainty looms around Conor McGregor comeback

Luke Thomas was not in favor of Conor McGregor getting a title shot for the division and like all of the UFC world, was puzzled at what was going on between Conor McGregor and the UFC all parties involved, including McGregor and the Dana White-led promotion want to see the biggest star in the history of the sport.

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” And you know, whether Conor should fight for it the answer is probably not but of course what does that matter doesn’t matter at all. I don’t really understand what the UFC is doing with Conor I don’t quite get why they can’t get things going,” Thomas said.

‘Notorious’, who has been out since snapping his leg in his 2021 UFC 264 clash against Dustin Poirier, was expected to return to the octagon last year. However, after his slated clash against rival TUF 31 coach Michael Chandler was postponed, there has been no progress on it. McGregor’s announcement that he would be fighting the former Bellator champion on June 29 was shot down by Dana White as was his suggestion of a UFC 300 booking. And there is no word of a timeline for his return except comments by Dana White that McGregor, at best, might fight towards the end of the year.

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