Now that the UFC has announced the creation of a flyweight division, it means that there will be not only another championship, but more high-level martial artists that can fight on MMA‘s biggest stage.
That means better fighters taking up slots in the company, rather than middling talent at the established weight classes.
It also means more exciting fights.
When the bantamweights and featherweights were announced as new weight classes in the UFC, there was some trepidation from fans. Many felt that it might over-saturate the company and ruin a good thing.
However, for the hardcore WEC fans it was a dream come true. Finally, some of the most exciting fighters on the planet would have chances to do what they do best, and in a company that would get them better paychecks and more exposure, too.
Anyone who watched the WEC not only knew that the fights were routinely exciting, but they also believed that any event they tuned into would not disappoint.
They were always right.
Why is it that the featherweights, bantamweights and flyweights can put on such great fights?
Short answer: muscle mass.
A longer explanation is the fact that they have less bulk than heavyweights or even middleweights. Even though all fighters have to be in great shape to stay in the UFC, muscle mass does take energy to move, and that means taxation on the heart and lungs.
Larger fighters may have larger internal organs, but their organs are not that much larger in size than those of smaller fighters. Their muscle mass, on the other hand, is staggeringly larger than their smaller counterparts’.
That means that heavyweights burn more energy and use more oxygen to execute every move they make while lighter fighters don’t.
Now that the flyweights, who weigh 125 pounds, are joining the UFC ranks, they will be the smallest fighters within the organization. That means they can move around the fastest and unleash the largest number of moves inside the constraints of a 15-minute fight.
The more techniques they use in one fight, the better the chances are that they will win submission, knockout or fight of the night.
The flyweights won’t just physically be the smallest men in the UFC’s cage; their paychecks will also match their size.
Judging from how the UFC pay scale breaks down, with fighters like Miguel Torres making less money after being with the UFC or it’s partner company, the WEC, while a heavyweight like Cain Velasquez can make more after only a few fights with the company, it’s not just speculation.
Smaller fighters just seem to make smaller paychecks.
On the other hand, UFC bonuses never diminish, no matter who wins them, be they heavyweight or a bantamweight.
If flyweights make less in the cage, expect to see them go for the gold every time they step into the Octagon.
If the UFC keeps them lean and hungry—not just for weigh-ins, but also with purse size—then fans may just see the flyweights capture their attention and become the best part of any event.
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