Bellator plans launch of men’s flyweight division
Bellator MMA plans to add another division for the first time since 2014.
The promotion is expected to launch a men’s flyweight division in the coming days, though an exact date of implementation is not yet known.
Multiple people with knowledge of the plans recently informed MMA Junkie of the promotion’s impending launch but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
Men’s flyweight will be the promotion’s 10th active weight class, putting them at two less than the UFC, which has 12 (also has women’s strawweight and women’s bantamweight), and four more than PFL (which has six).
While a roster has yet to be determined, top Bellator bantamweight contender Kyoji Horiguchi has frequently competed in the weight class throughout his career and could serve as one of the division’s early contenders. Horiguchi was supposed to compete in an unusual flyweight bout for Bellator in April, but his opponent Ray Borg withdrew due to weight management issues.
The promotion’s next scheduled show is Bellator 297, which takes place June 16 in Chicago and features two title fights: Vadim Nemkov vs. Yoel Romero and Sergio Pettis vs. Patricio Freire.