Very possible that WME-IMG will get rid of the manlets

[Not A Real Fan]

Consider the following:

(1) WME-IMG needs to generate big money and quick. Manlets, especially the 125 pound manlets, are a money drain. The 125 pound division is extremely unpopular and has been since its inception. Obviously, the manlets had friends in high places hence why they are still around when nobody wants to see them. Are these friends still in high places under the new regime?

(2) One of the reasons the manlets were forced down our throats was to appeal to new markets in manlet countries in Asia. But it appears that WME-IMG wants to pull back from international expansion. They have massively cut their Asian office staff. No need to appeal to manlet countries is one less reason to have manlets on the roster.


I realize WME-IMG have to contractually power through the ratings disaster that is the current manlet TUF. And they have other contractual obligations with the manlets. But given the first opportunity, will WME-IMG exile the manlets to the Shire?

 

[DetachedOrchid]

I hope you're right buddeh.

 

[dim_]

No

 

[Threetrees]

No.

This thread is bad, and you should feel bad.

The most popular fighter in the world is 145 pounds.

The most popular fighter next year could be 125. Nobody knows. Just because Demetrious Johnson isn't a star doesn't mean there won't be one. Jose Aldo was never a star.

 

[Not A Real Fan]

No.

This thread is bad, and you should feel bad.

The most popular fighter in the world is 145 pounds.

The most popular fighter next year could be 125. Nobody knows. Just because Demetrious Johnson isn't a star doesn't mean there won't be one. Jose Aldo was never a star.

I know its subjective but I don't consider 145 to be manlets.

 

[BALLERSTATUSMCG]

I know its subjective but I don't consider 145 to be manlets.

I think you mean get rid of the midget/carny division

 

[Sleepdancer]

It's not a good signal to send that the org is regressing rather than expanding. So I think cutting weight divisions is the last thing the new owners want to do. They would rather cut less publicly obvious expenses, and that might be fighter pay among other things.

 

[Slapchoppin]

once Conor loses to Eddie they're gonna get rid of all divisions higher than 145

 

[Choco]

Nah, manlets are low maintenace, and they discovered long ago that developing manlet stars was a way to have cheap divisions and a way of keeping the real men at bay financially.

Manlets and chicks are going nowhere.

 

[Threetrees]

I know its subjective but I don't consider 145 to be manlets.

Yes you do. Or at least you did until the advent of Conor McGregor. And if you didn't, most people did - and sense marketing is done for "most people" and most people referred to 145 as "manlet" and still do, my point stands.

It's a trash argument. As much as Sherdoggers like to pretend otherwise, stars can appear at anyweight class. A 144lb Filipino guy who started as a 112lb flyweight became a star in a dying sport in the US (Boxing). The most famous boxer of the modern era is a 147 pound man with a style that would anything but the most savvy of boxing fans to sleep.

The whole manlet argument is asinine, that's not how it works. Two years from now some australian 125 pound fighter who is 5'5 will arrive out nowhere and start blowing people away and set the world on fire.

Not to mention the UFC gets away with paying them (and the women) less anyway, and can use them to fill cards and appeal to local markets, or build FS1 or FightPass cards around when they know the brand "UFC" will be used to sell the event rather than the name of the headliners.

The commissions are looking into changing the weightclasses and including even more, they're not getting rid of the lighterweight classes.

I do think we'll start to see massive fighter cuts though. Across all divisions.

 

[TheTimeIsNotNow]

Then i welcome our new pro wrestling overlords.

 

[Slobodan]

They have massively cut their Asian office staff.

This doesn't mean that they are pulling out of Asia, the most likely scenario is that those staff will be replaced by IMG's own people. Restructuring after a buyout is normal.

 

[UFCFAN18]

Well me personally I warmed up to 145 when Jose Aldo came from WEC before that I wasn't into it. As far the classes below that I wouldn't miss them in all honesty.

I feel like those classes should just have their own league.

 

[themainman]

The best thing for the 125 division is if they make 115 division. I remember all the hate the 135 division got when that was the lowest weight class

 

[Threetrees]

Well me personally I warmed up to 145 when Jose Aldo came from WEC before that I wasn't into it. As far the classes below that I wouldn't miss them in all honesty.

I feel like those classes should just have their own league.

What do you mean when Jose Aldo came from WEC? There was no 145 lb division until then

But I wouldn't be mad at bringing back the WEC for free cards once a month or so.

Dopest fight promotion in MMA history in my honest opinion.

Then at least the casuals and tourists could stop bitching. The only thing that would suck is that lower weight classes would never get the exposure of paydays they deserved.

 

[felmmando]

I know its subjective but I don't consider 145 to be manlets.

Why don't you just call it the flyweight division then? Why use a label you know people will take to mean something else?

 

[phatron]

Manlets, especially the 125 pound manlets, are a money drain.

source?

 

[mcdowels]

125 is midget; 145 is small manlet and 155 is manlet, with 170 being 1st normal size

 

[D'z]

Dana, stop being a dick.

 

[UFCFAN18]

What do you mean when Jose Aldo came from WEC? There was no 145 lb division until then

But I wouldn't be mad at bringing back the WEC for free cards once a month or so.

Dopest fight promotion in MMA history in my honest opinion.

Then at least the casuals and tourists could stop bitching. The only thing that would suck is that lower weight classes would never get the exposure of paydays they deserved.

When they created the 145 division and Jose Also came to UFC I became a fan like many others did, Conor is 2nd to the featherweight party.

Anyways yeah WEC was cool because it was straight forward if you like the lighter weight classes watch and enjoy if you don't, just simply don't watch.