UFC gearing up to add 115-lb women's division says Dana White

Ever since Ronda Rousey was revealed at the UFC on Fox: Henderson vs. Diaz pre-fight press conference as the first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) women's Bantamweight champion, female fighters have been showing the mixed martial arts (MMA) world that they have the skills to fight on the big UFC cards.

Getting to that point seemed close to impossible as UFC President Dana White was adamant that under no circumstances would women ever fight inside the Octagon. Instead, they'd have to fight either overseas or in smaller shows such as Strikeforce or InvictaFC.

Now, almost a year since Rousey first held the UFC belt, White is thinking about adding a second women's division to an already full roster. On FoxSports.com Podcast "The Fighter and the Kid", White revealed that the Vegas-based promotion will soon be adding a 115 pound women's division.

White's new found love for the women's division is likely in part because for the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter, the episodes where the women fight have averaged 44 percent higher ratings than when their male counterparts enter the Octagon.

A 115 pound division will also open up the doors for many women who fight at Flyweight as they'll have the option of either moving up to bantamweight or cutting down to Strawweight.

There's no word yet on when the weight class will be introduced but it's likely that the UFC will look to sign Invicta Strawweight champion Carla Esparza and Felice Herrig as the cornerstones of the division.