5 bold predictions for the UFC in 2019

#2 The Women’s Featherweight division will fold

A lack of viable contenders - outside of Megan Anderson - could spell doom for Women's Featherweight

It’s already semi-official that the UFC is folding one weight class this year – Men’s Flyweight – and I suspect that they’ll follow suit and end the Women’s Featherweight division at some point too. In this instance, I think it makes total sense. It’s no secret that the division was launched largely because of the drawing power of Cris Cyborg, but now she’s lost, it’s hard to justify it continuing.

Sure, Amanda Nunes may well take off as a star after vanquishing Cyborg, but she also holds the Bantamweight title and that division has far more potential contenders for her crown than 145lbs.

Basically, the only genuine Featherweight on the roster outside of Cyborg is Megan Anderson, and while I’m a fan of the Australian’s, she’s just not a big enough draw to warrant trying to build a division around, not when the talent pool is so shallow.

Cyborg has already mentioned leaving the UFC when her contract expires in March, and so Nunes’ win over her has helped the promotion to dodge what could’ve been a major bullet had she still held a UFC title. Even TUF 28, which was dedicated to the division, hasn’t really helped; finalists Macy Chiasson and Pannie Kianzad have already confirmed that they’re dropping to 135lbs in the near future.

My best guess would be a title match between Nunes and Anderson in the early part of 2019, and if Nunes wins, the division will then be folded. If Anderson were to pull an upset, things could change slightly, but either way, I simply don’t see this division existing in the UFC by the end of 2019.