Where’s My Second Belt?

On November 26, the UFC has announced that fighter and champion of the featherweight and lightweight divisions, Conor McGregor, has vacated his featherweight belt. The featherweight championship belt will go to former champion and McGregor nemesis, Jose Aldo. McGregor possessed both belts for approximately two weeks after defeating former lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez, knocking him out in the first round with a four-punch combination.

There are nine weight classes in UFC: Strawweight, Flyweight, Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight, Light Heavyweight, and Heavyweight, each within their own range of fifteen pounds. The most contested weight classes are the featherweight and lightweight classes, making McGregor’s dual championship a remarkable feat. The Irishman has recorded twenty-one wins and three losses in his professional career and only has one loss in his time with UFC.

The newest and somewhat default champion of the featherweight division, Jose Aldo, has had quite the career. With twenty-six wins and two losses, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist was once named the best pound-for-pound fighter–prior to his devastating loss to McGregor after he knocked Aldo out in thirteen seconds.

Upon defeating Eddie Alvarez and becoming the first ever mixed martial arts fighter champion in two separate weight classes at the same time, McGregor began to demand a stake in ownership in the UFC brand. While his ownership requests may have been omitted from the official UFC statement, it is rumored that McGregor had used his leverage of two belts to potentially have his hand at ownership. Title bouts receive more views than regular views, Conor McGregor occupying two belts and dominant in two different weight classes could pose a challenge to viewership, due to the possibility that there would be one less title bout to advertise. The decision to give up the title appears to be a business decision in order to gain more viewers and accumulate excitement for the fights, which means more revenue for the UFC as a business.

 

Conor McGregor’s decision to leave the featherweight division and well as his championship belt, generated a wave of excitement in the world of mixed martial arts. With possibilities of rising new stars having the opportunity for a shot at the title swirling in the air, the Ultimate Fighter Championship—as a business—can only capitalize on this opportunity. Whether or not McGregor’s possible share in UFC ownership was in the discussion of his vacancy, only time will tell.