McGregor: ‘There’s definitely space’ for more MMA weight divisions

Conor McGregor is calling for more weight divisions in mixed martial arts.

Many fighters in the UFC alone have been calling for more weight classes. Talks about a possible 165-pound title fight between Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz at UFC 230 even surfaced recently, but the UFC simply dismissed them as mere rumors.

One fighter, the biggest name in the current roster at that, is now calling for more weight classes. In a recent interview with The MacLife, former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor added himself to that growing list of fighters pushing for an expansion.

He even wants to lead the charge to help turn it into a reality.

“If there’s two things that will keep me away from this game, it’s the intense media obligations and the weight cuts,” McGregor said. “Right now, they always seem to come together at the same damn time.”

“There’s a lot of work involved in the media and a lot of different type of energy, and of course, factor that in when you’re cutting weight. It’s not enjoyable at all. The weight cuts are ruthless. I’ve gone through every single one of them throughout the years.”

“This is the game we’re in,” he continued. “It’s a horrible, horrible part of the business, and if I could come in and help a situation like that, I believe I would like to come in and spearhead many more divisions in the game. So we can figure this whole situation out.”

Based on how he saw Darren Till’s harrowing experience, McGregor recognizes how adding in more weight classes can improve the quality of fights. For him, fighters will be able to come in well-prepared and not drained from grueling cuts.

“There should be many more weights to choose from,” McGregor said. “155 to 170, it’s a 15-pound gap.”

“There’s definitely space for more divisions, and something needs to be done. Where we can keep an eye on the way people are cutting weight, and manage it. And make the sport more enjoyable for the athletes that are actually competing.”

“You’ll get better fights for it,” he added. “You’ll get fighters that are able to do extraordinary things when they are going in full of energy and correctly prepared. Rather than killing themselves. So if I could do something, that would be something I would be interested in doing.”

McGregor will be returning from almost a two-year layoff from MMA this Saturday at UFC 229, where he challenges Khabib Nurmagomedov for the 155-pound title.