World Exteme Cagefighting will likely keep its competing lightweight and welterweight divisions, but the organization's middleweight and light-heavyweight divisions could be folded into its sister company, the UFC.
UFC president Dana White mentioned the possibility to Kevin Iole in his latest Yahoo! Sports Mailbag piece.
The moves, of course, could mean WEC middleweight champion and highly ranked 185-pounder Paulo Filho could be headed to the UFC.
When Zuffa LLC, the UFC's parent company, purchased the organization in December 2006, White said the WEC would be used to showcase lighter weight classes. While the organization does feature bantamweight (135-pound) and featherweight (145-pound) divisions -- which aren't used in the UFC -- the two organizations both have lightweight, welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight divisions.
Aside from Filho and perhaps WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann, though, the talent pool in the WEC's 185-pound and 205-pound class are awfully shallow. The UFC's middleweight division isn't nearly as thin, but it could use some legitimate contenders.
Filho (16-0) would provide that, but he and Silva (21-4) -- longtime friends and former training partners -- have both previously mentioned that they'd prefer not to fight each other.
In the meantime, Silva will move up to 205 pounds to fight James Irvin (in a non-title fight) at UFC Fight Night 14 on July 19.
