Could the UFC’s flyweight division really disappear? It’s something the company has considered, UFC President Dana White revealed during his public spat with the division’s champion, Demetrious Johnson. Now retired UFC and WEC fighter Danny Downes joins MMAjunkie columnist Ben Fowlkes to discuss the situation.
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Downes: Ben, you can add another name to the list of disgruntled UFC fighters. This past week flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson went public with his contractual issues and wrote a statement chronicling the saga.
The list of grievances was fairly predictable. Johnson had issues with his pay, opponents, and how the UFC was marketing him. What was uncommon, though, was finding out that the UFC threatened to shut down the entire 125-pound division if Johnson didn’t go along with plans to have him fight T.J. Dillashaw.
As you can imagine, UFC President Dana White’s response was also predictable. He basically called Johnson a liar (no mention if there were tapes), and said Johnson wasn’t that great anyway. What are we supposed to make of all this? Is there anything noteworthy about this public disagreement, or is it more kindle for the fire burning over at UFC headquarters?
Fowlkes: Seems pretty noteworthy to me if the UFC is considering shuttering one of its divisions, all while White walks back his very recent praise for the company’s most dominant champ.
You mentioned the fact that the UFC president disputed Johnson’s claim that he’d threatened to close the men’s flyweight division if Johnson didn’t take the fight with Dillashaw under the terms offered. But White also said that closing the division is a real possibility, something the UFC has been considering for several years.
Why is that, do you think? It’s not because the fights aren’t any good. You know that as well as I do. It’s not because there’s not enough talent to keep the division stocked. It’s solely financial. The UFC doesn’t feel like it’s making enough money off the weight class, so who cares if one of the very best fighters in the world is there? That might not be enough to save it in the end.
That’s troubling to me. It suggests that this sport is subject to the financial whims of the UFC, which of course we kind of knew already. But isn’t it still a little crazy to think that the UFC might really consider getting rid of a pound-for-pound great just because he doesn’t bring in enough cash?
Downes: No, I wouldn’t find it crazy in the least. Then again, I’m not sure what constitutes a real threat. When you’ve been caught in as many flip-flops and untruths as White, what are we supposed to believe?
Do I think White threatened to close the entire division? Yes. But I also think he means that threat about as much as he meant the following:
- He’ll cancel Michael Bisping vs. GSP and give Yoel Romero the title shot.
- He has no interest in signing Holly Holm.
- Ben Askren “needs more experience” before he can compete in the UFC.
- Jon Jones will never headline another pay per view event.
- The UFC isn’t making a dime on the Reebok deal.
- Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor is never going to happen.
- Mayweather vs. McGregor is absolutely going to happen
Every public debate involving White and a fighter or manager plays out the same way as this one. We can’t selectively choose to believe his threats and discredit his boasts. Each statement should be taken with the appropriate amount of salt. What we call “lies,” White would probably call “negotiation tactics.” We may think he goes to the intimidation well too many times, but he’s out there importing snow to his driveway while you haggle with the snowplow guy over how much to clear yours.
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