The rock-solid, airtight case for adding a 165-pound division to the UFC – whether Dana White likes it or not

Fighters want it. Fans seem into the idea. Even a half-man, half-gimmick that goes by the stage name of “The Schmo” stood up to advocate for it at last week’s UFC seasonal press conference. So when is the UFC going to cave to the will of the people and institute a 165-pound weight class?

“It’s not going to happen, Schmo,” was UFC President Dana White’s terse response on the matter. “Sorry.”

Then again, the list of things White has reversed course on after insisting they would never happen – women in the UFC, Jon Jones headlining another pay-per-view, etc. – is a long and prestigious one. A “no” from him can become a “yes” just as easily as an interim title can become a meaningless trinket.

So what’s his objection to the creation of a new weight class between lightweight and welterweight? As White told “The Schmo” in a follow-up interview that I guarantee looks and sounds exactly like you think it does, what he fears most is the dilution of two strong weight classes.

“You’re talking about a lot of guys that are jumping ship from different weight classes to go back and forth,” White said. “A 165-pound division will not answer all the questions. You’ve got to have these divisions stacked. What’s more exciting right now than 155 (pounds) and 170 (pounds)? They’re probably the two most exciting divisions out there right now. Creating a third division weakens both of those.”

That’s short-sighted. It relies on an outdated understanding of how these divisions actually operate in practice. And there are at least three reasons why creating a 165-pound class is the move to make – whether the boss likes it or not.

1. It’s a boost for fighter health and safety

Know the big problem about the current space between lightweight and welterweight? It’s the sudden 15-pound jump. Between flyweight and lightweight, the intervals are only 10 pounds. The difference is manageable.

But a fighter caught somewhere between these two divisions – which, mathematically, is bound to be a lot of people, when you consider the average size of the adult male – has to choose between facing bigger opposition at welterweight or making a severe cut down to lightweight that could put him at risk.

Here, let former lightweight turned welterweight Kevin Lee explain:

“I think it’s inevitable. I think we all kind of see that. I think it creates more work for them, and they don’t really see that much more benefit out of it. But, at the end of the day, when you talk about fighter safety and you talk about not having to dehydrate your brain and getting to fight a similar opponent, that’s what we’re looking for, is an even playing field.”

Creating a 165-pound class would also enable the UFC to bump the current welterweight division up to 175 pounds, giving us an even 10-pound range all the way from flyweight to middleweight.

2. The abundance of talent in these weight classes is an argument for, not against

White’s right about one thing: lightweight and welterweight both have a ton of good fighters. They might even have too many.

While winning a couple fights in a row might be enough to get you a title shot at heavyweight or light heavyweight, where the ranks are thin, a lightweight might have to win six or seven straight before getting a crack at the champion. That’s how crowded the weight class is. Even very good fighters can get stuck in that mess, toiling for years before they get a real chance to prove themselves.

Don’t believe me? Look at the proliferation of interim titles in those two divisions alone. The UFC currently has two lightweight champs. Until very recently it also had two (or, depending on how you look at it, three) welterweight champs – and all those fighters are good ones. So were the opponents they beat to claim titles. That tells you how much talent is there, and how much of it is bound to get blocked by these occasional, inevitable logjams.

You’re telling me those divisions wouldn’t still thrive if a few fighters went up or down to 165 pounds? It’s not like every fighter could or would do it. Some might try it out and return to their former weight classes. Others might move around only when they feel their path to a title blocked in another weight class, since a clean slate in a new division is an attractive pull for anyone.

And it’s not like we’ll stop seeing new talent show up in these weight classes. College wrestling has five weight classes between 149-184 pounds. That’s a lot of athletes with no pro sport to call their own once they graduate.

3. Since when does the UFC think it’s a bad thing to have an extra title floating around?

Maybe you’ve noticed, but the UFC seems to have a thing for belts. Real belts, interim belts, it doesn’t matter. If it allows the design team to put a little gold on the poster and give the pay-per-view sales pitch a boost, the UFC has historically been all for it.

And guess what happens when you create a new division? Yep, you get a new champion. You get a new belt to promote and sell. You also get a whole new chance to carve out some history, since someone has to be the first UFC 165-pound champ. These are all good things for a fight promoter with a title fetish.

And if somehow that’s not enough? Hey, just look at how many fighters and fans clearly want this. You’d think someone in the sales business might want to pay attention to that. And if you try it and it doesn’t work out? No problem. Just blame it all on “The Schmo.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.