Kevin Lee thinks there should be more weight classes.
Fresh off a dominant win over Edson Barboza at UFC Fight Night 128. Kevin Lee stopped by the famous Joe Rogan Experience podcast to discuss, among other things, his future in the fight game.
Before his previous fight against Tony Ferguson, Lee suffered a staph infection and barely make weight, even with a time allowance. For this fight against Barboza, Lee missed weight completely, and forfeited 20% of his purse.
Lee had spoken about moving up to Welterweight before, but told MMA Junkie that it’s not his best option.
“It’s some options to be had at 170. Right now they (expletive) around with this whole interim title (between Rafael dos Anjos and Colby Covington at UFC 225) and the top of that division is kind of muddy right now. It don’t really seem like there’s too much there right now.”
Lee’s preferred solution would be for the UFC to create a 165 pound weight division. Currently the weight classes start at 125, increasing by 10lb intervals until 155, where it jumps to 170. That abnormality is a relic from boxing. Lee thinks the ten pound increments should continue until 205, where it jumps off to Heavyweight.
“I would love a 165 weight class. I’ve been calling for it for a long time. I wish more guys would call for it. A ’65 weight class definitely needs to be made. I still feel like that’s where I’ll truly shine, you’ll see the best version of me. But in the meantime I’ll make my adjustments, and we’ll see how this whole thing works.”
It’s unlikely for state commissions to adopt new weight classes with any form of efficiency, so Kevin Lee will have to stay on at 155 for some time. After a dominant win over Barboza, Lee is now a top contender for champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He might have even been a shoe-in for Khabib’s next fight (assuming McGregor doesn’t return this year), but the UFC doesn’t like to give big event slots to fighters who struggle to make weight. That simple mistake made his fat significantly less certain.
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