With just a little over a month to go, UFC 230 remains without a main event. UFC president Dana White has been teasing an announcement for weeks now and even though tickets have gone on sale there’s still not an official headliner. The UFC probably wanted Jon Jones on the card, but he’s not in fight shape yet, and the UFC is angling for him to rematch Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 232. Surely the UFC wanted Georges St-Pierre to come back and fight on this card, but obviously that’s not going to happen either. And neither will a title defense by UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, who has an injured hand.
With no other options available, it makes more sense if the UFC just shifts up the lightweight bout between Nate Diaz and Dustin Poirier to the main event and have it for five rounds. This is such a great fight on paper that all MMA fans are excited to see, and I was surprised when the UFC didn’t originally name it as the main event. With no other big fights being available to fight in early November in New York, it just seems like the UFC is going to eventually just do what everyone wants them to do and make Diaz vs. Poirier a five-round main event.
The problem is the UFC is infatuated with title fights headlining their pay-per-views. Metrics have shown White and the UFC brass that generally cards featuring title fights do better on PPV. So the UFC has made it a point lately to always put title fights on their PPV cards, in some instances two or three title fights, and in some cases even introduce interim titles, even when they are not necessary. If the UFC is dead-set on putting a title fight at UFC 230, then making Diaz vs. Poirier the first fight at the new 165lbs super lightweight division and for the vacant belt is the perfect fight.
We’ve already seen both Diaz and Poirier come out on social media and ask for this, and it seems like fans and media agree. It seems like everyone is on board with a super lightweight division, and for good reason. The lightweight and welterweight divisions in the UFC are the most stacked weight classes in the promotion and house the most fighters on the roster. Those two divisions should be split into three, with 155lbs, 165lbs, and 175lbs being the three weight classes (welterweight would just be bumped up from 170lbs and Woodley would still keep the belt). There are tons of fighters who have asked the UFC to make the 165lbs division, but for whatever reason White is very adamant against it. This even though tons of fighters who cut weight have said this new weight class would help them out. White is also the same guy who said women would never fight in the UFC, and we all know how that turned out, so even though he’s ignored the calls for a super lightweight class so far, he may change his mind. And the lack of a main event at UFC 230 may force his hand.
The sport of MMA is constantly evolving and the UFC should evolve with the times as well. We know that weight cutting is a dangerous act and adding a 165lbs weight class would help a lot of fighters out. Kicking it off with an amazing fight between Diaz and Poirier at UFC 230 for the vacant belt would be a great idea. It would be an amazing weight class featuring many great fighters who cut too much weight to make 155lbs and those who are on the smaller side of 170lbs. White and the UFC have so far been very against the idea of it but at some point the UFC may just give in and actually do something that would help the fighters out, and help out the company at the same time. Both Diaz and Poirier want to fight at UFC 230 at 165lbs, for five rounds, and for the belt. The fans want the fight. The media knows it makes sense. It’s the perfect introduction to the new super lightweight division. Now, the UFC just needs to make it official.
Is it time for the UFC to make Nate Diaz vs. Dustin Poirier the UFC 230 main event?
