Talks about the opening of a 165-pound weight class in the UFC have been prevalent for a while now. At the same time, company president Dana White has repeatedly shut it down, despite calls from marquee names like Ben Askren, and from even newly-retired star Conor McGregor.

But in a recent interview with Barstool Sports, White finally put an end to all talks of a 165-pound division, and talks of opening any new weight class in the foreseeable future.

“Not in the next seven years, that I promise,” White said (transcript by MMA Mania). “I’m here for seven more years, when I go they can make a 180, 165, 122, whatever they wanna do when I’m gone, they can do. It ain’t happening while I’m here. What’s the appeal in it?”

White says he never considered opening up a new division to keep things simple, and to prevent fighters from jumping ship from their original weight classes. It is the same reason he stands by now, considering how stacked both the lightweight and welterweight divisions are.

“A lot of guys who know they can’t win at either 170 or 155 that would all jump ship,” White explained. “If you look at our 170 and 155 divisions, they’re stacked. You’ve got Usman, Woodley, Covington, Wonderboy, RDA, Masvidal, Askren, Till, Ponzinibbio, Lawler, Edwards. That’s 170. Lightweights at 155, you got Khabib, Conor, Tony, Poirier, Iaquinta, Kevin Lee who’s moving over to welterweight to make it even better, Edson Barboza, Gaethje, Pettis now is over in the welterweight division which makes it even better. Cerrone, Felder, Gillespie, Diaz.”

“You build a 165-pound division, you completely drain both of those divisions,” he continued. “It ain’t happening while I’m here. These divisions are stacked; we’ve got tons of great fights in both divisions.

“We don’t need a 165-pound division.”

There is currently a logjam at 155 pounds, with champion Khabib Nurmagomedov suspended until the latter quarter of the year. The UFC was then urged to book an interim title fight between Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway, leaving the likes of Kevin Lee irate and compelled to move up in weight.