No Super Middleweight division please!

In my last piece for MMA Convert, I talked about the dangers of catchweight fights and how it can lead to the fracturing of a sport that has already established a successful model.

Case in point Wanderlei Silva's latest interview with MMA Junkie

"I talked with (UFC President) Dana (White) three or four events ago, and I said, 'We need to create a new division at 195 (pounds). Because for me, my normal weight is 210 or 208. For 205, it's not too much (weight to cut). For 185, it's a lot. For 195, it's perfect...There's a lot of divisions, a lot of fighters. But now, maybe this is the first fight and in the future we'll have a new division. (There's) a lot of fighters in my situation."    

This is a prime example of what I was afraid of. That 'stars' and their optimal fighting weight becomes more important than the sport and promotion as a whole. 

While this started with EliteXC and the 160lbs. lightweight division, it never had a the potential of disturbing the overall divisional model within MMA. But if the UFC -- the largest, most powerful and most successful MMA promotion-- begins to create new divisions to fit fighters, then we have a serious problem on our hands.