Heading into 2019, we all figured there was a fantastic chance the UFC flyweight division was on its last legs. However, when Henry Cejudo knocked out TJ Dillashaw in the initial round of the bout at UFC Fight Night 143, we thought there was a chance the division could be spared, particularly since the UFC declared a couple of other fights at 125lbs for different occasions.
It seems like that may not be the case, as the marketing has reportedly released several other flyweights.
According to Cejudo, who spoke to the media last weekend in UFC Fight Night 144, the UFC has launched top-ranked flyweights Dustin Ortiz and Matheus Nicolau. In addition, John Moraga has been eliminated from the UFC’s official rankings, suggesting he too has been published. The UFC hasn’t yet commented if these fighters have really officially been published, but generally it is up to the fighters to inform the fans and media when that occurs. Almost anytime somebody was removed in the rankings for unknown reasons, however, it’s generally because the UFC released them.
Even though the UFC flyweight division is obviously on its way out, the choice to cut an excellent fighter such as Ortiz is downright shocking, and dare I say, dumb. Ortiz is coming from a competitive unanimous decision loss to Joseph Benavidez at UFC Fight Night 143 which was one of the better fights on this card. There is a chance Benavidez gets another crack at Cejudo’s belt, meaning the UFC simply cut Ortiz coming off of a title eliminator. And prior to the Benavidez fight, Ortiz had won three straight fights, such as a head kick knockout over the above Nicolau, a determination win over Alexandre Pantoja — a gifted flyweight who it seems was spared by the cuts so much — and a 15-second KO over Hector Sandoval which was the fastest knockout in UFC flyweight history. If anything, the UFC must have told Ortiz to maneuver up to bantamweight, which Alex Perez seemingly will do (in addition to fighters such as Said Nurmagomedov). Releasing such a gifted and improved fighter like Ortiz outright just looks silly.
As for Nicolau, he had won three of his fights in the Octagon before dropping to Ortiz, and even though he didn’t appear to be a title contender, he provided valuable depth at 125lbs. He additionally holds a notable triumph over Moraga, who it seems has also got the boot. That. Moraga was really one of the first flyweights the UFC signed back in 2012, and although he had an up-and-down UFC career, he was still considered to be a good gatekeeper and the ideal test for up-and-comers to shoot on. In his last battle, he was knocked out by Deiveson Figueiredo, who appears to be one of the couple flyweights the UFC still has to the roster. There is no reason Moraga could not have stuck around and continued to behave in a gatekeeper role. It simply seems overly harsh to reduce a guy who had been among those few fighters with finishing possible in a division that normally sees struggles go the distance.
Now, it’s very bizarre that which the UFC is performing together with the flyweights. If you inquire UFC president Dana White, he says the promotion hasn’t made a decision on the division, but it feels like every day we’re seeing a flyweight get cut, then the next day we see a flyweight battle booked. It would be nice if the UFC could make up its mind and either cut all of the flyweights or keep a complete branch, because right now the fighters don’t have any clue what type of job security they have going ahead, and that’s not fair to anyone.
Disclaimer: This page includes affiliate links and MMA Odds Breaker is going to be paid should you make a purchase after clicking on the hyperlinks.
Read more: surfingfansite.com
Loading ...