Joe Rogan, the UFC's iconic commentator and one of mixed martial arts' most influential voices, has sparked renewed debate about the sport's competitive framework. During a recent installment of his massively popular podcast, "The Joe Rogan Experience," the veteran analyst shared the microphone with boxing superstar Terence Crawford to discuss a transformative idea: the UFC should significantly expand its weight class system. This proposed change, Rogan argues, would address critical fighter safety issues while simultaneously creating more opportunities for athletes to achieve championship glory.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship currently maintains eleven weight divisions, a structure that has remained largely unchanged for over a decade. While this system has produced countless memorable moments and legendary champions, Rogan believes it creates unnecessary barriers that force competitors into dangerous territory. The restrictive nature of having so few divisions compared to other combat sports pushes fighters toward extreme weight-cutting practices that compromise their health and potentially shorten their careers.
The Dangerous Reality of Weight Cutting
Rogan's primary concern centers on the perilous practice of dramatic weight manipulation that has become endemic in MMA. Athletes regularly dehydrate themselves to compete in weight classes fifteen, twenty, or even thirty pounds below their natural walking weight. This process, often involving sauna sessions, water loading, and severe caloric restriction, places immense stress on the cardiovascular system, kidneys, and endocrine function. Beyond the immediate health risks, these extreme cuts can impair cognitive function and reduce the protective fluid surrounding the brain, increasing vulnerability to concussive impacts.
By introducing additional weight classes with smaller intervals between them, Rogan suggests fighters would face less pressure to engage in such hazardous practices. "This idea of only having eight champions in MMA is very, very limiting," he explained during his conversation with Crawford. The comment highlights a stark contrast between MMA and boxing, where numerous sanctioning bodies and tightly spaced weight divisions create multiple pathways to championship status.
The Exclusive Club of Double Champions
The rarity of multi-division champions in UFC history powerfully illustrates Rogan's point. Only four fighters have ever held two belts simultaneously: Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, and Henry Cejudo. This exclusive fraternity demonstrates just how difficult it is to dominate across divisions under the current structure. Each member of this elite group represents a generational talent who managed to overcome not just opponents, but the logistical and physical challenges of competing in multiple weight classes.
Recent high-profile cases have further exposed the system's limitations. Ilia Topuria and Islam Makhachev both found themselves forced to vacate their championships before pursuing titles in higher weight divisions. This mandatory belt forfeiture creates a difficult choice for elite fighters: remain in a comfortable division or gamble everything for a shot at history. The inability to simultaneously hold titles across three divisions means that even the most ambitious athletes must abandon their thrones to chase new crowns.
Pereira's Unprecedented Three-Division Quest
No fighter embodies the potential for cross-divisional greatness more than Alex Pereira. The current light heavyweight champion's journey through weight classes has been nothing short of remarkable. Having previously captured gold at middleweight while competing around 185 pounds, Pereira now maintains a walking weight near 240 pounds—a staggering transformation that showcases the extreme weight fluctuations common in modern MMA.
This dramatic size increase has fueled intense speculation about Pereira potentially challenging for the heavyweight championship, which would mark an unprecedented achievement in UFC history. Rogan specifically cited this possibility as evidence that the current system fails to accommodate athletes with unique physical trajectories. "If they had more options, and they had more weight classes, I think we'd have more competitive fights, we'd have less extreme weight cutting, we'd have healthier fighters," Rogan asserted.
Chimaev's Bold Challenge and Divisional Logjams
The weight class discussion gains immediate relevance when examining current champion Khamzat Chimaev's public pursuit of Alex Pereira. As the reigning middleweight titleholder, Chimaev has actively campaigned for a shot at the light heavyweight championship, creating a potential superfight that excites fans but complicates divisional logistics.
Simultaneously, Pereira himself is contemplating a move to heavyweight, which would create a cascading effect across multiple divisions. These scenarios perfectly illustrate how the limited number of weight classes creates competitive bottlenecks. Elite fighters find themselves in awkward positions, either waiting for opportunities or forcing moves that destabilize entire divisions. Additional weight classes would provide natural progression ladders, allowing athletes to move up incrementally rather than making massive leaps.
The Strategic Benefits of Expansion
Beyond individual fighter circumstances, Rogan argues that more champions benefit everyone involved. From a business perspective, each new division creates additional championship events, fresh marketing narratives, and expanded opportunities for fan engagement. The UFC could promote more title fights annually, driving pay-per-view sales and television ratings while giving rising stars clearer paths to glory.
Competitively, narrower weight gaps would produce more physically equitable matchups. Athletes competing closer to their natural weights would likely display better cardiovascular endurance, sharper technique, and more consistent performances throughout fights. The reduction in extreme weight cuts could extend careers by preserving long-term health and reducing wear and tear on fighters' bodies.
Implementation Challenges and Considerations
While Rogan's vision carries substantial weight, practical implementation would require navigating complex challenges. The UFC must ensure each new division maintains sufficient depth of talent to produce meaningful competition. Overexpansion risks creating thin divisions where championship status loses its prestige due to limited elite-level opposition.
The organization would also need to manage the transition period carefully, determining how current champions and contenders would be affected by restructuring. Financial considerations include the cost of new championship belts, updated marketing materials, and potential adjustments to fighter contracts. The UFC's brand identity as the premier MMA organization means any structural changes must preserve the integrity and clarity that fans expect.
Learning from Boxing's Granular Approach
Rogan's conversation with Terence Crawford naturally invited comparisons to boxing's methodology. The sweet science features numerous weight divisions spaced just a few pounds apart, allowing fighters to compete at their optimal weight without extreme manipulation. This granular approach has enabled boxers to capture titles across four, five, or even six divisions, creating legendary careers built on strategic weight management.
However, boxing's system also suffers from fragmentation, with multiple sanctioning bodies often crowning different champions in the same weight class. This confusion can dilute the meaning of championship status and frustrate fans seeking clarity. The UFC's strength lies in its unified structure, where there is one undisputed champion per division. Any expansion must preserve this simplicity while adopting boxing's more sophisticated approach to weight management.
The Evolution of Fighter Safety and Performance
As MMA continues maturing as a sport, athlete welfare has become an increasingly prominent concern. Fighters today have access to superior nutrition, strength and conditioning resources, and medical support compared to previous generations. This evolution has heightened awareness about the long-term consequences of extreme weight cuts and the importance of sustainable competitive practices.
Rogan's proposal aligns with this broader cultural shift toward prioritizing health and longevity over short-term competitive advantages. Promotions that proactively address these concerns may find themselves more attractive to elite talent and more defensible to regulators and media critics examining combat sports safety standards.
Fan Engagement and Competitive Clarity
From a spectator perspective, additional weight classes could enhance the viewing experience. More champions mean more championship fights, creating additional marquee events throughout the year. Fans would gain access to new rivalries, emerging stars would have clearer paths to title contention, and the overall depth of meaningful matchups would increase.
The current system sometimes leaves top contenders in limbo, waiting for title shots that may take months to materialize. More divisions would distribute elite talent across a broader competitive landscape, potentially reducing backup and creating more frequent high-stakes matchups that drive fan interest.
Conclusion: A Vision for UFC's Future
Joe Rogan's advocacy for expanded UFC weight classes taps into fundamental questions about the sport's trajectory and values. His arguments about reducing dangerous weight cuts, creating more champions, and improving competitive balance address legitimate concerns within the MMA community. While implementation would require careful planning and consideration of unintended consequences, the potential benefits for fighter health and fan engagement make it a compelling proposition.
As athletes like Alex Pereira push the boundaries of multi-division success and champions like Khamzat Chimaev seek new challenges, the limitations of the current eleven-weight-class system become increasingly apparent. The UFC has historically demonstrated willingness to evolve, from modifying rules to implementing new safety protocols. Whether the organization will embrace Rogan's vision remains uncertain, but the conversation itself reflects the ongoing maturation of mixed martial arts and the continuous search for improvements that serve fighters, fans, and the sport's long-term growth.