I was browsing through the UFC website and noticed there are only 8 weight classes. Boxing currently has 17. Boxing used to operate similarly: (Fly/Bantam/Feather/Light/Welter/Middle/LHW/HW)
There are several reasons why junior weight divisions exist. Maybe safety and more sanctioning fees for the organizations. But from a competitive standpoint, do they water down and hurt the sport?
For example, imagine weight divisions that looked like this:
Middleweight:
Golovkin
Canelo
Lara
Cotto
Charlo X 2
J Rock
Jacobs
Lemieux
Andrade
Saunders
Light Heavyweight
Stevenson
Kovalev
Ward
Jack
DeGale
Beterbeiv
Zurdo
Dirrell X 2
Groves
Brahmer
Welterweight
Brook
Thurman
Spence
Crawford
Porter
Garcia
Peterson
Postol
Bradley
Vargas
Broner
Bantamweight
Chocolatito
Rigondeaux
Yanamaka
Chemito
Rau'Shee
McDonnell
Cuadras
Inoue
Estrada
Tete
Kameda
By removing the junior divisions, the rankings would be much more solid from one to 10, being a long reigning division champion will be more meaningful, the number of champions would decrease, the sport would be easier to follow for casuals, and most importantly, better fights would be made.
Are you for or against junior weight divisions?
There are several reasons why junior weight divisions exist. Maybe safety and more sanctioning fees for the organizations. But from a competitive standpoint, do they water down and hurt the sport?
For example, imagine weight divisions that looked like this:
Middleweight:
Golovkin
Canelo
Lara
Cotto
Charlo X 2
J Rock
Jacobs
Lemieux
Andrade
Saunders
Light Heavyweight
Stevenson
Kovalev
Ward
Jack
DeGale
Beterbeiv
Zurdo
Dirrell X 2
Groves
Brahmer
Welterweight
Brook
Thurman
Spence
Crawford
Porter
Garcia
Peterson
Postol
Bradley
Vargas
Broner
Bantamweight
Chocolatito
Rigondeaux
Yanamaka
Chemito
Rau'Shee
McDonnell
Cuadras
Inoue
Estrada
Tete
Kameda
By removing the junior divisions, the rankings would be much more solid from one to 10, being a long reigning division champion will be more meaningful, the number of champions would decrease, the sport would be easier to follow for casuals, and most importantly, better fights would be made.
Are you for or against junior weight divisions?
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