5 UFC stars who should switch weight classes to reignite their careers feat. Max Holloway and Alexa Grasso

In the UFC, it's often easy for a fighter to get stuck in limbo. Whether this is down to a losing streak or multiple defeats in title fights, it's never a good spot to be in.

One way that UFC fighters can reignite their career is to move weight class, and right now, there are a few stars who should consider this.

Whether a move in weight would truly benefit them, of course, is debatable - especially if it involves a big weight cut. However, it could be worth it for the potential rewards.

Here are five UFC stars who should switch weight classes to reignite their careers.

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#5. Alexa Grasso - former UFC flyweight champion

One former champion who should definitely consider a switch in weight class is former flyweight queen Alexa Grasso.

The Mexican produced one of the greatest upsets in UFC history in early 2023 when she submitted Valentina Shevchenko to claim the 125-pound title.

However, after just about holding onto it in a draw with 'Bullet', she was beaten by the native of Kyrgyzstan comprehensively last September.

It's unlikely that a fourth title fight between Grasso and Shevchenko is going to be forthcoming, so could it make sense for her to move to 115 pounds? Absolutely.

Firstly, Grasso fought at strawweight for the first six bouts of her octagon career, although it's worth noting that she missed weight for one of them.

Secondly, once Weili Zhang and Tatiana Suarez's title fight next month is done, there's no clear-cut top contender in the division.

It'd be trickier for Grasso to justify a fight with Suarez, as she was submitted by the wrestler back in 2018. Zhang vs. Grasso, though, would be a very intriguing fight indeed.

Given that there'd be a chance of her jumping the queue right into a title shot depending on other results, then, Grasso really ought to consider this move.

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#4. Paulo Costa - UFC middleweight contender

Back in 2020, Paulo Costa was the hottest contender in the UFC's middleweight division. 'The Eraser' had put together a 13-0 record, including wins over fighters like Yoel Romero and Uriah Hall, to set up a title shot against Israel Adesanya.

However, since losing to 'The Last Stylebender', it's fair to say that Costa has struggled badly.

The Brazilian has only fought on four occasions since, losing to Marvin Vettori, Robert Whittaker, and Sean Strickland. His only win during this period came over Luke Rockhold, who retired directly afterwards.

Despite still being ranked at No. 11 at 185 pounds, then, Costa does not currently have a fight booked and appears to be directionless.

Could a move to 205 pounds suit him, then? It's definitely possible. 'The Eraser' has fought there before, and is definitely big enough to compete in a heavier division. In fact, his fight with Vettori was changed to a 205-pound one due to issues with his weight cut.

More to the point, the light heavyweight division isn't exactly talent-packed right now, and Costa would probably be hopeful of his chances against at least half of the current top 10.

Basically, 'The Eraser' needs something to reignite his career, and a move up in weight could definitely be just that.

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#3. Colby Covington - UFC welterweight contender

Following his defeat at the hands of Joaquin Buckley in December, the narrative on Colby Covington appeared to suggest that the former interim welterweight champion was shot.

After all, the fight was Covington's first for over a year, and to find the last time 'Chaos' actually won a bout, you have to go back to March 2022.

However, in the time since his loss to Buckley, Covington has not announced his retirement, which suggests that the 36-year old believes he still has something to offer in the UFC.

Could that "something" be at 185 pounds, then? A move up to middleweight would be risky for 'Chaos', but it could be a risk worth taking.

Covington admittedly isn't the biggest 170-pounder, although he clearly does cut weight to reach that mark. However, his style could definitely work at 185 pounds.

That's because for the most part, there aren't too many top wrestlers active at the top of the middleweight division. The likes of Anthony Hernandez, Jared Cannonier, and even Sean Strickland and Robert Whittaker are primarily strikers.

So could Covington surprise fans by climbing to the top of the middleweight division? Stranger things have happened, meaning a move up in weight could be worth a go for him.

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#2. Jiri Prochazka - former UFC light heavyweight champion

Naturally, most of the fighters on this list are coming off losses, hence why they need to find a way to reignite their careers.

The same cannot be said for former light-heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka. 'BJP' recently demolished a fellow former champ in Jamahal Hill at UFC 311, claiming a $50k bonus in the process. Right now, he's still ranked at No. 2 in the division.

Why on earth, then, should the Czech native consider a move up to the heavyweight division in the near future?

Put simply, he's got a major problem in his way at 205 pounds in the form of current light-heavyweight kingpin Alex Pereira.

'Poatan' holds two knockout wins over Prochazka, meaning that for as long as he holds the title, another shot at it for 'BJP' is unlikely.

If that's the case, what is there to stick around at 205 pounds for? Prochazka has already fought Hill, Aleksandar Rakic, Volkan Oezdemir, and Dominick Reyes. While a bout with Khalil Rountree Jr would be fun, it would also do nothing for his standing, either.

A move to heavyweight, though, could be very interesting. 'BJP' has fought there before, namely in Japan, and assuming Jon Jones doesn't stick around, there's largely a dearth of contenders for Tom Aspinall left.

Prochazka may be wise to wait until the result of the upcoming Pereira vs. Magomed Ankalaev title fight before making this move. However, if Pereira does win, it could surprisingly make some sense.

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#1. Max Holloway - former UFC featherweight champion

It's arguable that the UFC star who most needs to move weight class - permanently this time - to reignite his career is Max Holloway.

The current 'BMF' champion did win that title by beating Justin Gaethje at 155 pounds, but for the most part, he's almost exclusively fought at 145 pounds throughout his octagon tenure.

However, following his loss to Ilia Topuria in their title bout last year, 'Blessed' really doesn't have a lot to stick around at featherweight for. He's not going to get a title shot any time soon, and he's fought almost all of the other top contenders like Yair Rodriguez and Arnold Allen previously.

Sure, there are a couple of interesting fights left for him at 145 pounds, with Diego Lopes and Movsar Evloev being two potential foes.

However, if the Hawaiian were to move to 155 pounds permanently, far more doors would open.

Clashes with Michael Chandler, Dan Hooker, and Arman Tsarukyan could make for explosive fights, as would a rematch with Dustin Poirier or Charles Oliveira.

In fact, assuming he isn't past his best yet, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility for Holloway to earn a shot at lightweight champ Islam Makhachev. After all, he knocked out Justin Gaethje, a man recently mooted as a possible opponent for the champ.

Even without a move into title contention, then, there are so many fun fights for 'Blessed' at lightweight that it's the only move that really makes sense for him. With any luck, we'll see the Hawaiian back at 155 pounds sooner rather than later.