“Kills a Lot of People”- Dana White Gets Major Request from Former UFC Champ

Belal Muhammad weighs in on the lack of sufficient weight classes in Dana White's MMA juggernaut

“Kills a Lot of People”- Dana White Gets Major Request from Former UFC Champ

Belal Muhammad wants more weight divisions in the UFC (via Imago)

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The UFC stands tall as the biggest MMA promotion in the world, boasting a massive, passionate global fan base. Fighters from every corner of the globe dream of stepping into the Octagon, not just for the glory, but also for the big paydays and the chance to carve out legendary careers. But while the UFC is the gold standard in MMA, it isn’t without its flaws. One of the most talked-about issues? The limited number of weight classes.

Right now, Dana White’s juggernaut offers 12 divisions, eight for men and just four for women. While each is packed with talent, the gaps between divisions can be tough for many fighters to navigate, especially those who fall between two classes. Former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad recently addressed this very issue during a fun and insightful Q&A on his official YouTube channel.

Speaking openly, Muhammad pointed out how the lack of more divisions puts unnecessary strain on fighters. He shared his own ideas on how the UFC could improve the system and make weight cutting safer and competition more balanced.

Do I think the UFC needs more weight classes? I do. I think that there’s a lot of guys that are just stuck in that middle zone from 155 to 170, 170 to 185. There’s a lot of in-betweeners. I think it’ll give guys more opportunities to fight longer, to fight multiple times a year.

Belal Muhammad via his YouTube Channel

‘Bully B’ then talked about the dark side of extreme weight cutting and how it shortens the life of a fighter. The promotion has already seen many examples over the years, like TJ Dillashaw’s disastrous cut for his flyweight debut, in which he looked like a bunch of bones. Or how Jonny Hendricks had kidney issues during his cut to 170 pounds on various occasions.

The weight cut kills a lot of people. I know a lot of guys that kill themselves, but even if you add weight classes, I think higher guys are going to try to go lower. It’s still going to be a bunch of mess, but you’re going to get a lot more title fights. So, why not add more weight classes.

Belal Muhammad via his YouTube channel

Although weight cutting provides fighters with potential size advantages, it significantly increases the risks of fatigue, organ damage, and serious health issues. And as mentioned above, fighters like Ilia Topuria, Kayla Harrison, and Max Holloway have all looked like a shade of their normal selves to endure that ordeal.

However, with more weight classes, the gaps between the current divisions will be filled, and fighters can easily make the weight. However, Dana White has argued that more weight classes would not necessarily solve weight-cutting problems, just shift cutting strategies.

A few years back, Nate Diaz advocated for a 165-pound division and even announced that Dustin Poirier and Stockton’s favorite son would fight for the inaugural belt. But that never came to fruition. White has often said that adding divisions like 165 pounds would take star power away from the 155-pound and 170-pound classes.

It would result in fewer blockbuster fights since top fighters would be divided into smaller pools, making matchmaking more difficult. While this is common practice in boxing, with the sport having 17 weight classes for men, the UFC doesn’t necessarily plan to do the same.

Dana White talks about missing out on one of the biggest superfights in UFC history

Dana White promoted Tom Aspinall versus Jon Jones as potentially the biggest heavyweight bout in UFC history. However, despite fan excitement and media hype, this highly anticipated unification fight never materialized. After over a decade of dominance, the former 265lbs kingpin shocked the MMA world by retiring, leaving the Englishman completely disappointed.

Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, Dana White
Jon Jones, Tom Aspinall, Dana White (via Imago)

Initially, Jones avoided the UK native and then asked for a huge paycheck and six months to prepare for the fight. According to White, the UFC agreed to the terms and gave Jones what he wanted. In a recent interview with FULL SEND PODCAST, White talked about this in detail.

The fight was done. Everybody agreed to it… And then Jones came back and said I’m gonna retire. [You do] nothing [when something like that happens]. You fuking move with this. That’s what it is. It’s happened so many times before. Fifteen years ago, yeah, I [would] lose my sh*t, but you know, you just become numb to it once you’ve done it for so long. You get right back to work and figure out what’s next.

Dana White via FULL SEND PODCAST

However, Jones recently announced interest in returning after Donald Trump declared the exciting UFC event at the White House in 2026. The consensus MMA GOAT expressed strong motivation to proudly represent his country during America’s grand 250th Independence Day anniversary celebrations next year. Additionally, global UFC superstar Conor McGregor has also teased making his highly anticipated comeback fight during the historic anniversary event.

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