The featherweight division has caused UFC hierarchy plenty of trouble in recent weeks.
Since Conor McGregor relinquished his title, Jose Aldo has been promoted to champion, while Max Holloway was crowned interim champion last weekend. The two men are scheduled to fight to unify the belt, early next year.
On Tuesday night, the UFC confirmed they are to add another featherweight title, but this time for female fighters. It will become the third weight division for women in the organisation. The 145lbs division follows strawweight (115lbs) and bantamweight (135lbs).
Former bantamweight champion Holly Holm is to fight Germaine de Randamie at UFC 208 in Brooklyn for the inaugural featherweight title.
Holly Holm vs Germain de Randamie for the NEW women’s featherweight belt at UFC 208!!! pic.twitter.com/LgY7PAaRth
— Dana White (@danawhite) December 14, 2016
If Holm wins, she will become only the fourth fighter (and first woman) in the history of the organisation to hold titles at two separate divisions. BJ Penn, Randy Couture and of course Conor McGregor had held titles in two divisions.
Since defeating Ronda Rousey in November last year, Holm lost her title to Miesha Tate in her first title defence. She also lost to Valentina Shevchenko in July.
De Randamie has fought four times in the UFC, with her only loss coming against the current bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes.
The introduction of another weight division for female fighters shows how much the organisation value their exploits, only over three-and-a-half years after the first women's fight in the UFC.
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