LAS VEGAS – Ideally, Jordan Wright would like a weight class between middleweight and light heavyweight.
Wright (12-4 MMA, 2-4 UFC) returns to 205 pounds Saturday when he takes on Zac Pauga (6-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) in the co-main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The card streams on ESPN+.
Currently on a three-fight losing skid, Wright knows his job could be on the line against Pauga. He was victorious in his two career light heavyweight bouts and thinks he can regain that success without the strenuous cut down to 185 pounds.
“Fighting at 205 is something that I did in my UFC debut, and it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember,” Wright told reporters at media day Wednesday. “I’ve been at (1)85 for a long time and the weight cut was starting to weigh on me and I felt like I needed to make some kind of change.”
Wright is confident he can make a run at light heavyweight, but the 31-year-old thinks a 195-pound division would be a perfect fit for him.
“I’m not going to lie: The UFC needs a 195-pound division,” Wright said. “I’m not saying I’m not going to be great at 205. I think I’ll be champion at 205. But that being said, that’s the ideal weight class for guys who are like me, and there are plenty of guys who are sort of in-betweeners that can make 195, that are too big for 185 and having to fight really big guys at 205.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 219.
