In an interview with The Schmo on December 30, Dana White discussed the possibility of adding a women’s atomweight division to the UFC. It turns out that White is interested in creating the division and the UFC seems to be considering adding 105-pound female fighters to its roster.
“I would love to do a 105-pound division. I’ve kicked it around, talked about it, and thought about it, so we’ll see,” White told The Schmo.
In a video posted to The Body Lock’s YouTube channel, Patrick Auger and Drake Riggs discuss White’s comments and share their opinions on if, when, and why a women’s atomweight division should be added to the UFC.
Riggs believes the division should have been created in December 2018 when Jinh Yu Frey became champion in Invicta FC and had developed a significant fanbase. It would have made so much sense for the UFC to make the move then with an American atomweight leading the way. Now, Riggs believes that “the time has passed” and that the UFC has missed its primetime for atomweight potential. Any division created now wouldn’t be even close to the best atomweight division in the world because it wouldn’t feature Ayaka Hamasaki and Seo Hee Ham.
Auger believes there’s still potential for the UFC with this division. Speaking purely from a business perspective, Auger notes that the UFC has succeeded in Russia and the Middle-East, and now it’s time to turn its attention to Asia. This could be one of the best ways to start tapping into the Japanese and Chinese market, especially if the UFC is able to sign top athletes in the region.
What do you think? Do you want to see a women’s atomweight division in the UFC? Let us know in the comments section!
