With the UFC’s long-time head matchmaker Joe Silva set to retire at the end of the year, and former Legacy FC chief Mick Maynard now drafted in alongside Sean Shelby to help decide who fights who from now on, a redistribution of duties has now taken place.
That means that Shelby, who was recently promoted to Senior Vice President of Talent Relations, will oversee two more divisions than he did previously.
The former WEC matchmaker will now take on-board the mens lightweight and welterweight divisions in addition to his previous workload, which saw him make the fights for all divisions (male and female) below lightweight, other than the mens flyweight class.
That leaves new recruit Maynard, who takes the title of ‘Vice President Of Talent Relations’, to look after the men’s flyweight division in addition to all the divisions from middleweight upwards.
The UFC in general is currently in the middle of the most drastic restructuring of it’s personnel in years due to the takeover by WME-IMG this summer, leading to aproximately 15% of the staff being laid off, including a number of high-profile executives.
However, matchmaker Joe Silva was never intended to be among those heading for the exit doors.
However, having been with the promotion for two decades, Silva had equity in the company and so he made a small fortune when the company was sold, which convinced him that now was the right time to call it quits from his increasingly demanding UFC job.
Sean Shelby:
Women: strawweight / bantamweight
Men: bantamweight / featherweight / lightweight / welterweight
Mick Maynard:
Men: flyweight / middleweight / light-heavyweight / heavyweight
