WEC Flyweight Division on Hold

World Extreme Cagefighting Vice President Peter Dropick stated earlier this year that the promotion would be instituting a 125-pound division. Fans and pundits alike have speculated about when the weight class might debut ever since.

According to matchmaker Sean Shelby, the flyweight division remains a dilemma.

“When I first came in earlier this year, my goal was to build up the divisions we already had,” Shelby said. “We have built quality depth into 135 and 145, and I am working on 155 now. With the number of fights we are doing now, 125 is just not a viable division for us at this moment.”

Noting the considerable effort it will take to launch a flyweight division and to cultivate a worthy talent pool of contenders, Shelby said it would hurt the weight classes the WEC currently promotes if the organization jumped in before it was ready.

“Every fight we would be doing at 125 would take a spot from our already established divisions,” he said. “We have worked hard to create the depth we have, and I just don’t want to sacrifice that. We will do the flyweights, but it has to be the right time.”

Shelby recalled the UFC’s decision to absolve the lightweight division in 2003 because it was not promoting enough fights necessary to support the division. With that in mind, he remains cautious about a timetable for the institution of the weight class.

“When we feel we can support the division the way it needs to be supported, then we will bring in the best flyweights in the world,” said Shelby, who was hesitant to speculate on a timeframe. “We will be doing more shows next year, and, as [WEC General Manager] Reed [Harris] stated, we will be doing pay-per-view as well, so hopefully we will see the 125ers sometime in 2010.”