5 reasons why the @ufc needs to add 145lbs #WMMA divison

There was a time where WMMA was almost non existent, and the few women who were fighting where basically truck drivers offering beatdowns to undersized and under skilled competitors, however with the growth MMA has witnessed as a whole since the original Ultimate Fighter aired on Spike TV, we are finally at a point where Women are competing on the big stage, side by side with some of the biggest names in the sport–often competing for Fight Of the Night honors with their action packed, entertain the audience at all costs attitude.  You don’t have to watch too many WMMA fights to realize they are here to compete, and are only going to be getting more of the spotlight.  With the recent addition of the straweight and bantamweight divisions in the UFC, it is time for the Ultimate Fighting Championship to finally open up the Featherweight division so that the world can see the talents for themselves. Below are 5 reasons why the UFC will add the 145lbs weight division before the end of 2015. If you are a fan and supporter of WMMA, I ask that you share this blog on your twitter, Facebook, and other social media–so that the women mentioned in this article might finally get an opportunity to show Dana White how hard they have worked to earn the respect they deserve!

1. You can build the division

The WWF and WWE already proved that Television can make stars, lol and those “athletes” weren’t even really fighting.  Influential commentators, hype filled promotional videos, and aggressive media blitz, make it easy for everyday fans of Mixed Martial Arts to discover and relate to new athletes. Knowledgable matchmaking allows promotions like the UFC to give fighters with ‘star potential’ a platform to win, and when it is done of television, the audience begins to follow the champ.  This formula has been used time and time again to replace ‘aging’ stars with fresh up and coming talent.  The same strategies used to build a fan base for fighters like Conor Mcgregor and Demetrious Johnson can be used to establish an entire division.  It only took 1 season of the Ultimate Fighter to successfully build the UFC Strawweight division–a season that saw 43% of the cast with less than 5 professional fights, bring a revival to a lagging TUF ratings, and all participants being rewarded with UFC contracts at the end of the season.

2. If you build it they will come

Few people realize Ronda Rousey was the first American to ever medal in the Olympics for Judo when she won a bronze at 155lbs division in 2008.  Following her exciting run in Judo however, it took Ronda Rousey almost 4 years of MMA competition before she was finally able to make the 135lb weight limit, now set as the WMMA limit for the UFC.  With other olympic athletes like Edith Bosch, and NataliaVorobieva nearing the end of their grappling careers, an option of earning a sustainable income from competing in MMA for the world’s largest promotion, could influence them to focus on MMA training instead of a career of coaching once they finish their Judo and Wrestling careers respectfully.  Other athletes from Muay Thai, K1, and other Combat Sports might consider crossing over once they realize the opportunities fighting for the UFC can present.   With a lack of opportunity for WMMA, we have already watched several legends such as Becky Levi, Erin Toughhill, Erica Montoya, Debi Purcell, Jennifer Howe, and Gina Carano retire, simply because there was no stage for them to showcase their talents.  If the UFC builds the Women’s MMA Featherweight division–the fighters will come.

3. Declining PPV Sales

Let’s keep it real, at the end of the day the UFC is SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT.  Sometimes it is not all about being ‘the best’ in the world, which is why you see fighters like KIMBO SLICE,  CM PUNK, and James Toney getting their shots in the UFC with little to no actual Mixed Martial Arts experience on their resume.  The blockbuster PPV sales set by Brock Lesnar (rumored to be returning to the UFC in March) are what this sport needs in order for it to continue to grow.  With the decline of PPV sales, there is one fighter on the market who has been able to build a fan base large enough to ‘move the needle’ so to speak, and that fighter is INVICTA Champion, STRIKEFORCE Champion Cris CYBORG Justino.  Very few people have been able to build the type of fan base she has established without the help of the UFC Marketing/Hype machine.  Cyborg has the type of marketing power to carry an entire women’s league named Invicta, and to bring eyes to a sport like Muay Thai, which has traditionally been almost non existent in regards to press/media coverage when she competed for Lion Fight.  A marquee matchup against Ronda Rousey would break PPV records in regards to WMMA–however any card with this superstars name on it is almost guaranteed to get the attention of MMA fans around the world.  With the decline of PPV sales, it only makes sense that the UFC would give a legit legend to MMA an opportunity to showcase her skills, especially considering they are already going to extremes like signing CM PUNK to compete, when he has never had a professional bout.

4. Why give the competition ALL THE MARKET SHARE?

With the UFC ‘refusing’ to introduce the Featherweight division for WMMA into their organization, rival promotion BELLATOR has very quietly started signing many of the top 145lbs fighters in the world including Julia Budd, Marloes Coenen, Treta Nogueira, and Annalisa Bucca to exclusive contracts.  With other top talents such as Pannie Kianzad, Gabriela Holloway, Elaina Maxwell, Amanda Lucas and Arlene Blencowe still fighting on the regional shows, the UFC would be smart to attack the market share before Bellator owns the division.  With a plan to share fighters with Invicta FC, similar to what they did when they introduced TUF 20, the UFC could essentially pull the rug out from Scott Coker and company before they ever get a chance to build an audience.

5. The UFC is where the best fighters are suppose to compete!

With the UFC buying rival promotions such as PRIDE FC, STRIKEFORCE, and WFA, the reality is the majority of the best fighters DO FIGHT for the UFC.  While there are a few names like Ben Askren, and Aoki competing outside the organization, most fans have witnessed the lack of success when champions like Hector Lombard and Eddie Alvarez finally made their way into the Octagon.  With no Women’s Featherweight division in the UFC, the truth is the top female fighters in that division are not in the UFC–rather Invicta and Bellator.  With the addition of the 145lbs weight division, the UFC would finally get an opportunity to see arguably the best P4P female fighter on the planet, Cris Cyborg compete for the best promotion in the world.

Once the UFC announces the inclusion of the 145lbs division, the fans are one step closer to getting the ‘SUPERFIGHT’ they have been seeking for years.  While Matt Hughes Vs. BJ Penn was an epic champion Vs. champion matchup–the reality is the fans never got the opportunity to see GSP Vs. Anderson Silva–and since Jon Jones Vs. Cain Velasquez seems even less likely, the UFC could accomplish all of their PPV goals by finally putting together the one fight EVERYONE wants to see Cris Cyborg Vs. Ronda Rousey.

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Hope everyone had a great holiday, and a safe new year!