While most of the information had come out weeks out, the updated details on the UFC’s new matchmaking arrangements appear to be finalized according to MMAFighting. Previously, Joe Silva was Senior Vice President of Talent Relations with Sean Shelby as Vice President of Talent Relations. With Silva retiring at the end of the year, Shelby is getting his old title, while Legacy FC promoter Mick Maynard will take over Shelby’s old position.
In addition, the weight class assignments are changing. Silva booked everything from lightweight on up to heavyweight, while Shelby booked featherweight on down, including the women’s divisions. This was a natural progression, as Shelby served as the matchmaker for WEC (home for the lighter weight classes) and Strikeforce (home of the women’s divisions) when they were bought up by the UFC. It only made sense for Shelby to continue “specializing,” so to speak, in the UFC. Now, with the new changes, instead of Maynard just taking over Silva’s divisions or something like that, here’s what each matchmaker is in charge of:
Shelby
- Women’s Strawweight
- Women’s Bantamweight
- Men’s Bantamweight
- Featherweight
- Lightweight
- Welterweight
Maynard
- Flyweight
- Middleweight
- Light heavyweight
- Heavyweight
Analysis: Looking at who got what, it makes you wonder if, perhaps to adjust to the UFC workload, Maynard was deliberately given the least populous men’s divisions to start with. Shelby, on the other hand, keeps all but one of his existing divisions and not only adds two divisions, but adds to two most talent-stacked divisions on the roster.
