Via The Wrestling Observer…we’ve talked about the meeting of the Association of Boxing Commissions elsewhere, but TWO reports some interesting stuff about the group’s proposed new weight classes for MMA. Here’s the weight classes proposed followed by some comments from TWO:

MALE

Flyweight (Up to 105 pounds)
Super Flyweight (Over 105.1 to 115 lbs)
Bantamweight (Over 115.1 to 125 lbs)
Super Bantamweight (Over 125.1 to 135 lbs)
Featherweight (Over 135.1 to 145 lbs)
Lightweight (Over 145.1 to 155 lbs)
Super Lightweight (Over 155.1 to 165 lbs)
Welterweight (Over 165.1 to 175 lbs)
Super Welterweight (Over 175.1 to 185 lbs)
Middleweight (Over 185.1 to 195 lbs)
Super Middleweight (Over 195.1 to 205 lbs)
Light Heavyweight (Over 205.1 to 225 lbs)
Heavyweight (Over 225.1 to 265 lbs)
Super Heavyweight (Over 265.1 pounds)

FEMALE

Flyweight (95 lbs. and below)
Bantamweight (95.1-105 lbs.)
Featherweight (105.1-115 lbs.)
Lightweight (115.1-125 lbs.)
Welterweight (125.1-135 lbs.)
Middleweight (135.1-145 lbs.)
Light Heavyweight (145.1-155 lbs.)
Cruiserweight (155.1-165 lbs.)
Heavyweight (165.1-185 lbs.)
Super Heavyweight (185.1 and above)

We’ll be talking more about this on tonight’s Wrestling Observer Radio show. Suffice to say, the days of your average fan being able to remember who the champions are in every division is likely over, and all that serves to do is ensure that the belts don’t mean a thing. You could argue that it’s safer for the fighters in terms of weight-cutting, but I think every fighter is still going to cut to the lowest weight class he thinks he can make.

While the assertion that it ‘makes the belts not mean a thing’ is subject to debate, the knee jerk reaction of the SAVSCI staff is that there’s too many weight classes. Get rid of the intermediary ’super’ weight classes (super bantamweight, super middleweight, etc.) with the possible exception super heavyweight and you might be on the right track. Not sure that so many weight classes for female fighters is necessary either, though as the popularity of MMA among the distaff grows it could be down the line. We’ll be talking more about this next week…

Proposed MMA weight classes @ Wrestling Observer Online