Dana White and the UFC introduced the 145-pound women’s featherweight division in February 2017 and there has been little to no build since.
The promotion began the process of bringing in featherweights by signing the weight class’ all-time best, Cris “Cyborg” Justino. However, the future UFC titleholder would compete at 140-pound catchweight contests prior to the division’s official creation in an attempt to get her down to the 135-pound bantamweight class.
UFC 208 began as the launchpad for 145 with two 135-pound staples in Germaine de Randamie and former champion Holly Holm vying for the vacant crown – Cyborg missing out due to her need to recover from her previous weight cut to 140.
In the division’s near five-year existence, never has the UFC released a set of top 15 rankings as they do for every other division – likely because the division has never homed more than roughly eight fighters at a time, a generous number.
With no new natural featherweight challengers in sight for current dual-division champion Amanda Nunes, White admits that the class’ future essentially hinges on the champ’s decisions moving forward.
“I don’t know. It’s going to depend on what the champ wants to do,” Dana White told the media following UFC Vegas 42. “We’ve got this fight coming up with her.
“We’ll see how that fight plays out, and then we’ll figure out what we’re going to do with that division. Yeah, I don’t know.”
Nunes defends her bantamweight crown at UFC 269 on Dec. 11 against Julianna Pena.